Malfoy's Got It Goin' On!
by weasleykingrocks
Summary: At 23, Scorpius thought that he wouldn't be able to date anyone till he's 30. But within two years,he's married out of convenience, has a daughter,and a perfect life. But then life's never been too easy, especially for a Malfoy. RW/SM
1. Being An Auror Is Tough!

**Disclaimer: JKR owns everything..:-((**

**This is my first multi chapter fanfiction..Damn nervous...hope you'll all like it!**

**The fic's rating been changed to M just to play safe.**

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**1. Being an Auror Is Tough!**

"Bloody Hell!", swore Scorpius Malfoy, as he got a yet another paper cut. His fingers were currently covered with paper cuts. He swore profusely under his breath as he waved his wand over his hand, healing the cuts, yet his hand was rather red.

Ah well, the twenty-three year old thought tiredly, I'll check it up with Rose. He yawned widely and looked at the mound of paperwork he had to do. And he'd thought that being an Auror was only about fighting the Dark Arts.

His boss, Ron Weasley, didn't make his job easier. Maybe he shouldn't have asked Ron if he could do the paperwork at his flat, which encouraged Ron to give him more work. Scorpius thought about the wonderful, warm bed in his room and considered Imperiusing himself so that he could go and have a lovely sleep. The unusually cool, stormy July weather didn't make matters easier for him. He felt his eyes acting of its own accord, when a shout woke him up.

"Oi Malfoy!"

Irritated, Scorpius turned his head towards the fireplace, to see his best friend, Albus Potter's head in it. He was wearing a look of concern on his face.

"Al, maybe you need glasses. Its one AM. What the hell do you want??"

"Is Rose here?"

"Why on earth would she be here? She'd said that she had a night shift tonight. Why??"

"Well she had popped in at Teddy's about two hours back. And left as quickly as she had arrived. Ted was worried about her cause she was looking terrified so he sort of gave a floo call at her place half an hour later. But she wasn't there."

Scorpius raised his eyebrows. "And?"

"She is still not there!! I just checked. She is neither at Mungos."

"She must have gone over to one of her girlfriend's place. Relax Potter! Its Rose, alright?"

"But just look at the weather outside…."

Scorpius cringed as he heard the thunder roar outside.

"She is the most responsible and sensible person, I've come across. Surely she is somewhere safe. We'll check the first thing in the morning, alright?? I have a lot of crap to finish given by your uncle."

"What about Patricia? Isn't she helping you?"

"She's given in application for leave. She's going to Italy with her _boyfriend_." Scorpius said with distaste whereas Albus scowled, "Hang on! Is Elora there at your place right now??"

Albus nodded with a hint of a smirk and a blush. "She is rather agitated because we were interrupted in the middle of it by Teddy."

Scorpius made a face. "He must have seen something ghastly."

"Well, we hadn't really done anything then…how was your date with Serena last night?"

Scorpius shrugged, "Damn good in bed. But I think it's over! For heaven's sake, she started talking about her ex-boyfriends and how serious she was with them. I am not ready to commit to anyone right now. I have too much on my plate to handle. So forget marriage, I guess it'll be no dates till I'm thirty."

"When you'll be graying and will have a receding hairline. That'll really be an age when' you'll be all hot and happening!', snorted Albus, "Honestly Scorp! You really want to hold up that long? Almost 7 years. But don't worry! I'm sure my sister can wait for an entire lifetime for you." Albus winked.

Scorpius grounded his teeth together and said, "Shut it, Potter! Lily is your sister for heaven's sake. And both, you and her, know that I feel the same way. So get lost before Elora disappears."

"Ah, duty calls!! See you later, ferret boy."

Scorpius scowled as Albus's head disappeared with a pop.

He wondered if he should call in sick and take a day off tomorrow. He was sure he would not be able to get some sleep tonight. So when he does collapse at work, maybe then he'll be allowed a break. And hopefully, everyone would realize what kind of boss is Ron Weasley. And maybe then-

His head started hurting. He was thinking too much. He could have gotten someone really worse. He rubbed his forehead, and went to prepare a mug of hot cocoa for himself. He might as well finish all the work and then call in sick.

He went and sat in the wicker chair, tired and exhausted after a whole week of sheer hard work.

He closed his eyes, feeling more relaxed than he had been in a week. Being an Auror wasn't a child's play.

Especially for an ex-Death Eater's son.

Scorpius remembered the prejudices he had to face ever since he was a kid. Whenever he went out somewhere, people stared at him and whispered furiously. He hated being a Malfoy. He thought things would get much worse the moment he steps onto King's Cross, Platform 9 ¾.

Sure he got his share of stares and furious whispers. But Draco had told him to not be ashamed of himself, and walk with his head high. Things had gone wrong in the past, it was high time people moved on.

While waiting on the platform with his father, he had seen him looking at a bunch of people, a group filled with redheads and brunettes. A tall redheaded man and a bespectacled, jet-black haired man looked over at them, and them and his father nodded at each other in greeting

"That would be Weasley, Potter and their family." Draco had whispered to him. "A Weasley and a Potter are starting this year. Make sure you beat them in everything. Especially, the weasel's daughter."

Scorpius felt comprehension dawning on him, as he looked at the very happy group. They looked so content and jovial together that he felt he dull ache by just looking at them. How much he'd longed for a sibling or cousins chattering happily around him like that, but he just didn't seem to have any, except Aunt Daphne's snobbish twin daughters, who were at Beauxbatons Academy.

Suddenly, the redheaded man's daughter looked at him and gave him a small smile, which he returned.

Draco had noted the exchange and had gripped his shoulder tightly, which had made Scorpius wince.

"Don't get too friendly with the Weasley, Grandpa Malfoy won't forgive you if you married one", he said, his left side of the lip up in an unmistakable smirk.

Oh yes, thought Scorpius dryly, like I'd listen to grandpa Malfoy, the mad old purity-loving crackpot.

Last thing, he remembered before getting onto the train was being hugged warmly by his mother and father and his father whispering in his ear, "You'll love Hogwarts. You'll have enemies, but you may also have friends. Just make sure you make the right ones. I never had a choice but I want you to know that you do."

Eyes followed him since he stepped on the train, but the looks and stares weren't of admiration and awe, like the ones Potter boy and Weasley girl got. He had found an empty compartment at the end of the train, and was alone for the rest of the ride.

Lazy applause from the Slytherin table was heard, the moment the sorting hat shouted, "SLYTHERIN!" for him. He had found himself being congratulated by his seniors, all saying, "Welcome Home, Malfoy.". but he had't share their sentiments. He had a very bad feeling that he would be known for his last name only. He'll end up having cronies as his friends, he'll become what his father had become at Hogwarts. Which hadn't been what he wanted.

He'd felt truly lost until the hat shouted, "SLYTHERIN" for Albus Potter. He grinned from ear to ear as Albus sat on the table, looking terrified. Scorpius smiled at him, which Albus returned slowly. Soon, they'd become fast friends, chattering non-stop over the food. The next day, Scorpius found himself another friend, in the form of a hot-tempered, feisty Gryffindor called Rose Weasley, who joined them at their table for breakfast next morning, and since that day, there had been no looking back.

Hogwarts had found its new Golden trio. And the resemblance with the previous Trio was uncanny.

Albus was the leader, and a knack of getting into trouble with Scorpius, an adventurous streak which could put any Gryffindor to shame and the unwanted attention because of his name. The similarity between Harry and Albus Potter did not end at the looks only, however, there was no lunatic dark wizard after Albus's life.

Scorpius was the charmer, the witty one of the group, with Quidditch skills and looks to die for. Unlike Ron, he never really longed for attention (he got too much of that from his fan girls), but just once in a while he wanted to be known as a good Malfoy.

Rose was the voice of reason, with knowledge and talent that matched her mother's, and Quidditch Skills inherited from her father. But she was more like her mother.

She and Scorpius played against each other as Seeker for their respective houses. Rose joined the Gryffindor team in her 2nd year, whereas Albus (as a chaser) and Scorpius had joined the team in their first year itself. Slytherin didn't have much of natural talent to boast about, then that is.

Rose and Scorpius kept a record of their wins against each other and were tied at 2-2 before the seventh year. The last Quidditch match was the decider. Hugo, the Gryffindor Keeper had swallowed the snitch, and Scorpius had been trying to get it out of him, to avoid death due to suffocation. Rose caught it the moment it flew out of his mouth.

Till date, Rose gloated about the win. At times, he did feel like hexing her so that she would shut up, it wouldn't really matter seeing that both almost bickered everyday.

But he never did. It was just because he loved seeing her so happy. Her ocean blue eyes sparkled making them look like bright sapphires. Now that he thought about it, he couldn't ever bear seeing her cry. A tear from her eye would make him want to rip the world apart, and hunt the person down responsible for her tears.

Rose always felt a paradox having Albus and Scorpius as her best friends. She felt very lucky to be in their company as they always looked out for her. At times, a bit too much. Rose did vent out her frustration on being treated like a pathetic little girl who could not stand up on her own feet. More than once the both of them had been victims of her infamous outbursts. Rose Weasley in a temper was the last person you'd want to cross. But that did not stop them from loving her, and vice-versa. They were incomplete without each other. They were a little family.

Everyone at Hogwarts believed that the word family applied to Scorpius and Rose, in a totally different manner. Initially, both took the whole thing as a joke. But they soon got really sick of it and irritated. Roxanna Weasley had enchanted a mistletoe to follow them till they kissed. And when they finally did, the The howlers they had received had shaken everyone up, and Scorpius and Rose decided to hex anyone who teased them.

Albus once was stupid enough to say that they both reminded him of Rose's parents whenever they bickered, and then he couldn't walk straight for a whole week.

Even though, there were no feelings, Scorpius knew one thing. Rose meant to him more than any girl at Hogwarts. He knew he wasn't in love with her but he honestly couldn't imagine life without her. Even though there were quite a few girls he dated at Hogwarts, none of them lasted long enough because they were all sick of being 2nd to the Weasley flower (nicknamed by the spiteful Scorpius female fans).

Everyone thought that they had the same plans after school. Albus and Scorpius definitely did. Both wanted to be Aurors. It was a bit of a surprise for everyone that Scorpius chose to be an Auror when he had already been offered to play for various league teams. Scorpius wanted to do something worthwhile, something to show that he wasn't just another Malfoy. Rose however wanted to work as a Healer, which took the boys by surprise because they expected her to go for the Ministry. She reminded them that they were going to work as Aurors, so someone had to be there to take care of them in case they lose a vital organ.

Scorpius had faced many tribulations and prejudices when he joined the Auror Academy. And the Auror training him was no one else but Ron Weasley. Ron did not hate Scorpius, but he didn't like him either. So Scorpius worked day and night to win his heart. And he did that. Ron was thoroughly impressed by the young Malfoy's sincerity and hard work. After finally believing the fact that his daughter and the Malfoy kid were friends and nothing more, Ron never made it a secret that Scorpius was his favorite student. But that made sure that he gave Scorpius the most amount of work, as he was the most capable.

And surely, Scorpius became a full-fledged Auror just 5 months back. His mother was in tears at his graduation, where he collected the award for the top Auror graduate, his father holding on to her and smiling proudly. Ron was proudly gloating to everyone that the student winning the award was from his stable, and joked that Harry should just leave the teaching part to the best.

He'd even got an appartment from the Auror accommodation Office, which were provided to the best Auror graduates. Life had never been better. He was finally being known as SCORPIUS Malfoy, rather than Scorpius MALFOY.

Scorpius's eyes snapped open when the clock chimed two. He got up from his chair and yawned widely, and had just started to move towards his kitchen, when he heard someone banging on the front door. The person was definitely someone he was on friendly terms with. Or else the security alarm would have gone off! However, he whipped out his wand to take precaution. Who really would be stupid enough to drop in

2 in the morning and that too, in a really stormy weather?!

"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING HERE AT THIS HOUR ROSE WEASLEY?!?!" he roared, as he saw who was standing at the other side of the door.

A beautiful redhead, stepped inside the house without replying to him. Scorpius closed the door, cringing as he heard another thunderclap. He then wheeled around to face his best friend. He had just opened his mouth to shout at her, but one good look at her shut him up. Rose's eyes weren't sparkling anymore, his skin was blue, perhaps she was walking around in the rain for a long time. She looked so….vulnerable. Scorpius feared she would break. Scorpius summoned two thick blankets, and a hot cup of cocoa.

"What were you thinking walking around in such weather??" he murmured as he wrapped the blanket around her, and handed her the mug. Noticing that she was shaking miserably, he pulled her gently towards the fireplace. Scorpius watched as Rose stared at the fire, her cup of cocoa untouched. Using a Drying charm, he dried her hair, and waited for her to speak. She looked so lifeless, especially the eyes he loved so much. Her eyes expressed her best and her worst emotions. Right now, they weren't saying anything at all.

"Baby, what's wrong??" he asked soothingly, caressing her hair. Rose finally turned to look at him. Her eyes were filled with tears, which startled him. Without any warning, Rose flung herself at him, and broke down completely, terrifying him. He had never seen Rose having a break down as bad as this.

"What happened love?" he whispered in Rose's ear, as he wrapped his arms tightly around her and rocked back and forth. He could feel the wetness from her eyes on his chest now. Something was really, REALLY wrong.

He continued rocking back and forth, a trick his mum had taught him.

_Just wrap your arms around the person who's upset very tightly so that they feel safe, and keep swaying gently. That's how I used to calm you down whenever you used to get terrified whenever there were thunderstorms_.

Soon enough Rose's sobs had stopped, though he could hear the sniffs occasionally. He smiled to himself. The trick still worked when it came to Rose. He was stupid enough to tell James Potter about this trick at school. James went about looking for any girl crying her heart out, so that he could comfort her. He however did come back with a few handprints on his cheek.

He suddenly felt Rose, pulling back. "How do you do that?" she asked with a small smile.

"What?"

"Making me feel better, whenever I'm at my worst."

"I am quite the charmer, aren't I?"

Rose gave him a beautiful smile, a smile that he always longed to see at least once a day. It always made him believe that at the end of the day, everything would just be fine.

"So planning to tell me what is wrong by the end of this decade?"

Scorpius frowned as he saw her smile disappear. She again turned back to stare at the flames. He knew what she was feeling. The only times she refused to look at him was whenever she felt guilty.

_Oh dear! What had she done?_

"Rosie?"

Whatever Rose said next was barely louder than a whisper. But it was loud enough for him.

"I'm pregnant."

………………………….

**AN:-**

**Thank you so much for the reviews on my previous attempt at fanfiction.!!**

**Please review this one too..!!**

**Reviews would encourage me to update faster!!**

**;-)**


	2. Unbelievable!

Disclaimer: See Chapter1

**Six reviews for the first chapter…not bad…!! Thank you so much!!**

**But come on! Every author expects more than that!!;-)**

**Anyway….Chapter 2 for those who are waiting for it!**

**2. Unbelievable**

"I am pregnant."

Scorpius felt his guts disappear as he heard her whisper. Of all the things in the world he hadn't expected her to say _this_. He thought maybe, she had mixed a patient's report, she had given a patient a dose of the wrong medicine, or maybe she had been thrown out from Mungos. He really hadn't expected this. Just to check he hadn't misheard her, or because he was so bored with her not saying anything, maybe he had imagined it.

"Eh? Sorry?

Rose's voice trembled as she said it again. "Pregnant. That's what I am!"

Scorpius felt the air escaping his lungs as he heard her. What on earth was she talking about?? How could she be pregnant? She wasn't dating anyone for over an year now. She always said that she was too busy with the healer's internship. Unless she went on a drinking binge, and ended up having a one-night stand with a total stranger….but that didn't make any sense at all.

Because she was Rose. And she wasn't so stupid. Maybe she was dating someone secretly. That had to be it. There had to be a guy to put her in this condition.

Well obviously, he thought dryly.

"Were you dating someone without our knowledge?" asked Scorpius, frowning.

"Yeah" came the soft reply that startled him.

"Why? Why would you do that?! Maybe Albus and I have been slightly harsh on your previous boyfriends. But that was only in school! We were idiots and we still are. Ok! That's beside the point. But why didn't you tell us? Us being over-protective never stopped you form flaunting your dates in front of our faces."

His stomach flipped when he saw Rose turn red and then she squeaked, "He wasn't someone you liked." He raised his eyebrows not sure whether he wanted to hear the answer. Dread was filling him with every passing second.

"Rose, Who is the father? Who is it?" he asked softly, closing his fist so hard, that he felt his nails piercing his palm. He'll get to the guy before Albus could.

"Promise me you won't judge me," she said softly, trembling on the couch.

Scorpius almost burst out laughing, "I have never judged you, sweetie, even when I found that skimpy black lingerie under your couch once- " Rose narrowed her eyes. "Well does he know that you are…you know?"

"No", said Rose bitterly, "We broke up about two weeks back. He wanted to concentrate on Quidditch and I was distracting him heavily. So he believed we part ways till our future is secure!"

"He's Quidditch player?? A pro??"

Rose nodded.

"Wow. What team does he play for? What position?"

Scorpius relaxed. Maybe she was talking about the one of the players from his least favourite teams.

She took a deep breath, readying herself for the explosion. "He is currently a reserve keeper for Turbulent Tornadoes-"

"NO!!"

Rose saw Scorpius jump up and look at her, his eyes blazing.

"Ryan Smith?" he whispered, hoping Rose would prove him wrong by saying no. But when he saw her avoiding looking at him, he felt his anger burst out of him.

"HAVE YOU GONE MENTAL ROSE?? The thing in you belongs to that bastard? Are you serious?"

Rose felt fury ripping through her heart when she heard Scorpius address the being in her as a _thing_.

"First of all, it's a child that growing inside me, and not a thing as you'd kindly put it.", she said angrily, standing up to meet his face, but that wasn't saying much because he was a head and a half taller than her. There were times when Rose hated the fact that she looked a LOT like her mother. Why couldn't have she have inherited her father's height? But then, six feet two inches seemed too tall for a female. Five feet four suited a female much more.

"Oh my! Rose, I cannot believe that you have the guts to reply back. You know what an asshole he was at school. He was a player-"

"But we were teenagers, all were stu-"

"He broke hearts and hymens for his own amusement-"

"Well, that was all then. You don't know how much he's changed-"

"He dated Lily in our last year and dumped her in front of everyone in the Great Hall when she'd just told us that they were meant to be together. You know that almost drove her to suicide."

"Shut Up, Malfoy. We all know that she had fancied you ever since you became friends with Albus. Maybe her suicide attempt was because there she saw us kissing under the mistletoe. And she believed the rumours that we were toget-"

Scorpius scoffed.

"Honestly Rose! At least come up with a strong reasoning. Just look at what he's done to you. You cannot even have a decent argument with me."

"HEY!! It's not his fault! You are the one starting a baseless argument. You don't even know him. You just hate him that Melissa Bright fancied him and not you," Scorpius flushed red. "You are such a hypocrite! You were the one with arm candies, every month-"

"It wasn't every month! It never went out with any girl for amusement, I actually fancied them, unlike the Pervert. Unlike him, I treated my girls with respect. I actually cared about them-

"Ryan's caring too. He's funny, smart, loyal"-Scorpius let out a snort-"responsible.. you don't know him at all. That's why you're saying all this."

"Loyal, my ARSE!! From what I've heard from Patricia Jones, they are dating."

Rose's wild expression faltered a little. "No-can't be-I never-how-. I knew she was secretly dating a Quidditch player. It just cannot be!" she stuttered.

Scorpius sighed. "She gave in an application for a week's leave yesterday. She said she's going to celebrate the 6 month of being together with Smith in Italy."

Rose's eyes became as wide as saucers. "The Premier League. The premier league." She muttered furiously. She looked at him, her eyes holding the last bit of hope. "It just cannot be! Ryan would never-"

"You can ask Albus. We've caught them snogging each other's faces off, Merlin knows how many times.

Scorpius didn't know what to do. He was feeling a paradox. He'd never seen Rose look so helpless and distraught, and he wanted to do nothing but hug her tight so that she can forget everything. But he was just so disgusted and angry with her. He just couldn't look at her face. If he looked at her, he would get images of Smith and Rose, wrapped around together like eels, making him want to throw up.

"But he'd said he could see a future with me. We both had planned…He had said he loved me!"

"Rose, I thought you were the smartest witch around. Don't you remember Lily telling us that he'd said the _three magical words_ to her?? He said that to practically every girl he dated."

Rose buried her face in her palms, her shoulder shaking with sobs.

Scorpius preferred watching from a distance rather than comfort her. He couldn't get himself to touch something Ryan Smith had touched. He just hated that guy so much. With pale blue eyes, (sadly, his eyes too had the same shade), long blonde hair falling in waves and a smile that could make any girl's knees go weak, he was the envy of all the boys at Hogwarts. Except him, and all the Weasleys and Potters of course. He was too much of an arrogant prat. Him being the Ravenclaw keeper and captain didn't help his case either. He was James's and Fred Weasley's favourite target when it came to pranks. Albus joked around that their family had a habit of forming enemies in every generation. When everyone found out that Lily was dating that idiot, Albus had nearly killed him. But after Lily begged him to not do anything, for she really liked him, Albus refused to talk to either of them, till the day of their break-up. That day, Scorpius and Rose, while on their patrolling duty, had found her in an unconscious state, at the top of the astronomy tower. That was the day Albus Potter receieved the longest detention of his life, lasting one whole month, when he ended up using Sectumsempra on the one responsible for Lily's state. Even after the whole incident, Ryan Smith was unperturbed, and he continued dating girls, and breaking their hearts.

Scorpius couldn't believe that after all this, she still dated the bastard, who in spite of what Rose had said, did not change at all. And cannot change at all.

Rose still hadn't surfaced.

"Were you or are you in love with him?" asked Scorpius, staring at the fire, feeling nothing close to love and admiration for Rose.

Her head snapped up. "Yes, I guess so.", she replied softly.

He felt something snap inside him, her words echoing in his ears. He felt like drawing blood and break everything around him. He really thought he was going to be sick. The way she said yes..it was like it the thing she was surest about in the world.

_Rose was in love with him?? The prat of a git! He did not deserve her! No one in this world deserved her! She was just so special…there was no one good enough for her, except m-_

Scorpius was alarmed by what he was thinking currently. What was wrong with him?? He looked at Rose from the corner of his eyes. She was shaking, her face in her hands again.

Neither said anything for a few minutes. Scorpius went to look towards the window, and watched the rain attack his window pane. Then suddenly she burst out, "How could I have been so stupid??"

"Finally! The usually very brilliant Rose has finally figured it out. She is incredibly stupid!!" said Scorpius in a voice that sounded uncannily like Rose's.

"I should have guessed it from day one. He used to disappear in the morning, after we spent the night together, saying that he had practice. He was the one who cancelled all the dates. And I had to adjust my shifts so that I could spend time-! Oh lord! Why didn't I realize it earlier?"

"Think Rose!! That shouldn't take more than a few seconds.", said Scorpius so spitefully, that Rose looked stung. Tears again started flowing from her eyes, startling him. Since when did she get upset whenever he made fun of her..?? A lot had changed in this girl.

"That is enough!" screamed Rose. "I came here to tell the person I trust the most in the world about my little trouble and I expected him to support me. What do I get instead? Hateful glances! Not even a word of sympathy. You know what Scorp? Sometimes things just happen. You can't help it but see it happen. I know I totally messed up my life. I don't need you now telling me how pathetic I am, because I already know that I have always been pathetic!"

Tears blinding her, Rose got up from the couch and made a move towards the door, when she felt herself being enveloped by two strong arms. She curled up in them, breaking down even further, inhaling the warm scent she always associated with Scorpius. "It just happened. I can't do anything to revert it!" she whispered, tasting her salty tears.

"I know. And I am sorry", sighed Scorpius, as he gently got her back in front of the fire. He held her tightly, never wanting her to feel any pain in the world. "It was just the initial shock. But don't worry Rosie, I'll be here for you. So how long are you into the pregnancy?

Rose pulled back with a small smile. "Its been almost three weeks. I have a feeling it's a girl."

"So you are going to keep it?"

Scorpius felt stupid even asking her that, since Hogwarts he knew Rose loved kids and that was why she had joined the paediatric ward at St. Mungos.

"Of course! I'm planning to run away-

"WHAT?!?" Scorpius yelped, and then flushed red. Malfoys never yelped. But then he wasn't just another Malfoy.

Rose laughed. "What am I supposed to tell my parents? That their perfect daughter got herself knocked up before marriage, and the kid belongs to the biggest prat in the world? My parents will disown me, my dad atleast will. Mum might be more sympathetic but she'll be too disappointed to make much of a difference to how I'm feeling right now. Hugo…I don't know..Most probably he'll stop talking to me for the time being. Lily will never talk to me again….and Al…" Rose stopped briefly, her eyes welling up with tears again. "He'll never want to see me again. And will probably land up in Azkaban after killing Ryan. I'll tell them, go away for a while, maybe a decade or so and then hopefully, they'll realise that they were really stupid to turn their backs on me, then they'll accept the situation and welcome me back into the family."

Scorpius stared at her.

"And exactly how many times have you run this over in your mind?"

"A dozen times, I think", said Rose sheepishly, wiping her eyes at the same time " Why?? You think it'll take them more time?"

He shook his head, half-exasperated, half-amused. Maybe, Rose hasn't changed at all.

"Rosie, I know how important family is to you. It's because of you, that I learnt to respect my own.", he said, absentmindedly stroking her cheeks, noticing how soft they were in spite of the dried tears, and the freckles shimmering because of the light from the fireplace, making her face glow…

Scorpius shook himself. He really was sleep-deprived.

"I know that you cannot live without your family. You value them too much. So just forget the idea of running away. It would neither do you any good nor them."

"Then what should I do, Scorp?" Rose cried out in frustration, "How am I going to get through the whole thing?? Who is going to be there for me when I need ice-cream at night? Or when I want help with the baby? Who's going to be there for me through this entire ordeal of having a baby??"

Scorpius studied her as she clutched her hair. Her shoulders were slumped, and there was no sign of Weasley pride that she showed twenty-four seven otherwise. She looked so…_tired_. He found his brain working furiously and coming with a solution that surprised him, yet made him feel that it was right!

She then looked at the dying fire, and then suddenly jumped.

"I am so sorry for disturbing you. I believe I should leave now. Its almost four in the-"

"Marry me."

"-morning. I have to report at Mungos at-WHAT?!!"

Scorpius went down on one knee, and grabbed her hands with his large ones. He looked up at her to see her looking back at him, mouth open in shock, eyes wide open.

"I said Marry me!" he said calmly, while trying to ignore the violent battle going on in his head

_What the devil are you doing_? She needs me. _So what?_ _You could have just helped her as a friend_. Her baby needs a father, a real one. _Oh so you mean you being noble_-

"Scorp-why?" Rose spluttered, her cheeks reddening.

"Because you need someone who can help get through all of this. I want to give your baby my name. I want to be there for you, Rose. What else are friends for?"

Rose stared at him in disbelief.

"But-but what if dad fires you? I know he likes you but..but I don't think he's ever thought of you as his son-in-law."

Scorpius almost laughed out in relief. Rose was considering his option. And he'd thought that he'd made a fool of himself.

"We'll see about that. At least Al won't be upset with you."

There was a silence for a minute which Rose broke.

"So you really want to do this?" she asked, a small smile appearing on her face. He got up, and gave her a dazzling smile. "Are you kidding me Weasley? I'll do anything for you."

Rose didn't return his smile. "What if we don't work out?? I mean what if you get too bored with me? After all it is a marriage of convenience, right?" she asked worriedly.

"You are any day more bearable than those bimbos I date. And if things go really wrong, there's a thing called divorce."

Scorpius felt hurt that Rose wanted to take this marriage for convenience.

_But then you shouldn't be bothered about it, should you?_

He sighed inaudibly_. _He should get himself checked by a healer soon.

He felt himself being dragged into reality as he felt Rose hold his hand ever so softly and gently, that he felt electricity flowing through his veins as their fingers intertwined, felt himself blush when he felt her eyes on him.

"Thank you."

He looked down at her, and felt he could never look away. Her eyes had again got that sparkle back and were looking at him earnestly. Her cheeks looked so smooth that he longed to touch it again. And those lips…oh god, they looked so plush….tender, soft…That he felt like doing nothing else but snog her senseless…

WHOA! HE REALLY NEEDED TO SEE AN HEALER! AS SOON AS POSSIBLE!

Rose coughed to break the awkward silence. "So…"

Scorpius laughed nervously. "So you trust me more than Al, huh?"

She raised an eyebrow, and her lips twitched in an unmistakable sign of a smirk.

"Oh no, not really. You are more or less the same. But then I was about to drop in at his place. But then I changed my mind the moment I reached his door."

"Really why??"

"I could hear Elora moaning rather loudly on the other side of the door." She giggled.

"Oh!"

**AN:-**

**End of chapter 2! And you realise that the story has just begun!! :-P**

**Would you like to have Rose's POV as well…I'm really undecided here..**

**Please review :-)**


	3. Two Years Later

**Thank you so much for the reviews!! I'm glad that I got more for the 2****nd**** one..keep reviewing n give suggestions if improvement is reqd! It really helps!!**

**I'm not sure about my opinion about this chapter…coz it didn't really turn out the way I wanted it to be…so pls do say how you found it**

**Chapter 3: Two Years Later.**

"Have you got your invite to the Alumni meet?" asked Albus, as he entered Scorpius's office at the Auror headquarters.

The blonde who was busy arranging files, looked up and nodded.

"So are you planning to get Amy to Hogwarts this year?"

Scorpius smiled at the mention of her name. He looked at Albus, who was still looking quizzical.

"Yes Al! I had promised her that I would show her the place that gave me the most magical years of my life."

Albus leaned against the wall, and frowned. "You don't think Rose would mind?"

Scorpius shrugged. "Why should she?? She is just jealous that I spend more time with Amy than I do with her."

Albus smirked. "Is that so?? I believe the case is other way round. You are jealous because Rose is busy tending to Amy all the time, with the diapers and pooping. I cannot even remember the last time I saw you two kiss, rather than running into you two going at it! Going through a dry spell, Malfoy??"

He wiggled his eyebrows.

Scorpius felt his face heat up, and continued working. He did not want to accept it to Albus that he was right.

Rose and he'd gotten married within two weeks after she'd told him about her pregnancy. It was a quiet sort wedding, attended by immediate family and very close friends.

When the best friends announced their plans to get married to their friends at a party at Albus's place, it had left everyone dumbstruck. The news was so out of the blue. And so sudden.

James had then screamed out that he won the wager. Rose and Scorpius were left speechless, as they saw their friends emptying their pockets, grumbling furiously.

Albus refused to talk to them for almost a week. He felt hurt that they hadn't told him before that they were in love with each other, forget planning to get married.

_Even though, it was obvious to everyone that the two of you would end up together, couldn't you have just told me before?? I could have pulled back_ _from the bet. I just lost 50 galleons to the idiot!_

When the couple broke the news to the Malfoys, Draco looked composed, though Astoria couldn't help hide her tears. Her little Scorpy has grown up! The senior Malfoy had said it wasn't much of a surprise to him, knowing that Scorpius always went against Lucius Malfoy's wishes.

Scorpius knew the toughest part wasn't over yet, he was yet to give the news to the biggest possible hindrance to their plans. Ron Weasley

Ron had almost gotten a heart attack when Scorpius had dropped in his office to ask for his daughter's hand. After giving him a satisfactory black eye, Ron calmed down, and started his interrogation about when did they start dating. And then started a series of lies of Scorpius and Rose secretly dating after graduation, and expecting a baby.

Ron was horrified to know that his little girl was pregnant before getting married, and lost his cool in the office. He was about to floo in at Mungos, give her an earful and was about to disown her in front of everyone, when Scorpius stepped in, asking him to listen to him for one last time, before he made any decision.

And that's when Scorpius told him everything, leaving Ron speechless.

He didn't even know why he told Ron Weasley of all people, the truth. Albus had no clue at all. Maybe it was because Senior Weasley was a man he trusted and respected above all, Al and Rose being exceptions.

Ron was astounded that Scorpius was marrying Rose to save the Weasley honour, and it was highly unnatural for a Malfoy to try and do that. Ron made his suspicions about Scorpius being in love with Rose loud. Malfoy vehemently denied it, ignoring the flip-flops and the churning in his stomach as he did so.

_You could have just supported her, instead of marrying her. You can deny it, Scorpius. But I take it that you are in love with my daughter. And I already know that you care about her, perhaps more than Mione and me. But hear this Malfoy, you harm a single hair on my baby, I won't regret using the killing curse._

They were happily married yet they never really were married. Marriage was a union of two souls in love with each other. Here, only one seemed to have any feelings at all.

Scorpius had accepted the fact that he was attracted to his best friend. The signs were too many to count. She had unlimited power over him, and he could do nothing about it. And he did not want to do anything about it. She was an amazing house maker, and he didn't want to do anything but come back home to a gorgeous wife and a beautiful daughter waiting for him. Sadly Rose had been working at Mungos for the past two days, and Amy was currently at the Den, with her maternal grandparents. Albus coughed to remind Scorpius he was still there waiting for an answer.

Scorpius banished his files, and yawned.

He then got up from his chair and said, "You don't catch us going at it, because we have more sense than doing it everywhere around in the house, unlike you, Al." He waved a wand over his desk, aligning everything in its place, the inkpot closing itself.

To Scorpius's satisfaction, Albus turned red.

"Hey! We're trying! Maybe it took you one bedding to get Rosie pregnant_. _But then not everyone is lucky, so when did you really bed her? Merlin! Why don't you ever answer the question??"

The clock chimed seven.

Scorpius jumped and grabbed his cloak, leaving Albus bewildered.

"Sorry-have-to-go. Bye."

Albus sighed as he saw the Scorpius disappear in the throng of Ministry of Magic workers.

"Why do I get the feeling that you are hiding something from me?"

…………………………

Scorpius opened the door of his house to be met with a delighted cry.

"Dardee!!"

He turned to see Amelia, his 16-month old daughter, getting up from the carpet in the living room, walking towards him, and wrapping her little arms around his legs.

Scorpius bent down to pick her up, and whispered, "I missed you so much! How was your time at Nana's, Princess?"

"GOODY!!", she shrieked gleefully, clapping her hands.

He felt nothing but pure love and joy whenever he looked at her. She rested her head on his shoulder, her fiery red curls tickling his neck, her pale blue eyes sparkling with innocence that every toddler had at her age.

Scorpius remembered holding her for the first time, an event that had taken place almost seven months after the marriage. His hands trembled so much on seeing the little bundle in his arms, two warm blue eyes peering out of it. Rose, though tired and sweaty, had been watching both of them in admiration, happy to see her baby in her _father's_ arms. He'd sworn that he would do anything and everything to make this little wonder happy. All the Weasleys had turned up together, crowding the special suite where Rose was resting. Hermione had burst into tears, and was comforted by her husband, on whose face, joy and pride on becoming a grandfather was evident. Draco and Astoria Malfoy watched the whole scene in bemusement, as little Amelia was passed around, everyone cooing and watching her in adoration. However, the moment Ron got a peek at the baby, he exclaimed.

"She looks exactly like a Malfoy!" earning him a swat on the arm from Hermione.

Amelia had aristocratic features, just like all the Malfoys did. But so did the Ryan. However, Scorpius had wished wholeheartedly that Ron was right.

She was so perfect, so beautiful. Never had he seen someone so breathtaking.

_Except Rose…_

Scorpius blinked. It wasn't the first time that a thought like this had come to his mind. He was used to it by now. Even at school, he had believed Rose was the most beautiful girl around, and she was too special to actually find someone who would be good enough for her. A sense of possessiveness would always overcome him whenever he saw her with any guy, except her cousins and brother. He had always considered those feelings as brotherly and hence he believed he would have a natural desire to protect her. He however had felt confused at times, especially when they had kissed under the mistletoe in their last year. His stomach had churned in a very good way, and he finally believed what the guys usually said:

Rose Weasley had the lips of an angel.

He never understood those feelings until recently; when he had accepted the fact that maybe there was some amount of attraction there. Maybe he did have feelings for her back then, but he was too blind or too immature to understand what falling for someone really was. He avoided using the word love. Because that was the last thing he wanted. To fall in love with his wife, Rose Malfoy.

Amelia never liked it when people ignored her so she started pulling her father's nose.

"Ow! Watch it brat!" he said fondly, rubbing her little nose with his. "Where's mama?"

Amelia looked towards the kitchen, and a second later, Rose came out, apron around her waist, bits of food in her auburn curls.

"Amy! Finish your food darling-Oh! You're early!"

Rose's tired expression vanished as she saw Scorpius standing with Amelia in his arms.

She went towards him and pecked him on the cheek, Scorpius sighed inwardly. He was seeing her after two days, and this was what he got. Does she have any idea how much he missed her?

She then placed her hands on her hips, and tried to look stern, but the twinkle in her eye gave her away.

"Little Ms. Malfoy here finds it very amusing to pelt me and the wall with food rather than taking it in. So would her dad please do the honours of feeding her?"

Scorpius was very amused, as he handed Amelia to her.

Just last week, Amelia had shown her first sign of magic, when she showed her disapproval of the food (or 'goop' according to Scorpius) being given to her. The result was that the kitchen wall was adorned with cereal bits, the mushroom and onion soup which was being cooked had soggy bits in it, and of course chunks of cereal in Rose's hair. When he entered the kitchen, he wasn't surprised to see the walls splattered with cereal. He knew Rose was very persistent about cleanliness, but he also knew that Rose was very thrilled that her daughter was showing signs of magic at a very early age. Like mother, like daughter.

Rose cautiously bought a bowl containing freshly prepared baby-food as Amelia eyed it suspiciously, and gave it to Scorpius.

Amelia however always ate, whenever Scorpius fed her. He was very animated when he fed her, so Amelia had a hard time on concentrating her food. She enjoyed watching her daddy the most.

Rose watched the two of them with awe on her face, as if she couldn't believe her good luck. Scorpius turned to look at her, while Amelia tapped her bowl with her spoon, her eyes looking absolutely delighted as if it was the most fun thing to do.

He was surprised to see her eyes glistening with tears. She gave him a small smile as if saying thank you. He nodded, desperately wanting to tell her how big a difference she and Amelia had made to his life, he, however, kept quiet. He knew this was the closest he could get to having a perfect life, he wasn't going to risk it all by his budding feelings for Rose. Sure he could handle them. He'd always been a very good actor.

"So when did you come back home today?" he asked, for the heck of starting a conversation.

Rose rearranged herself and started cleaning the walls of the kitchen, a tinge of pink on her cheeks.

"At four. Susan was ordering me to go back as I had been working non-stop for 48 hours. She felt that I should not leave Amy when she's this age, and I should return home as soon as possible, especially when I have a very good-looking husband waiting to attack me the moment I turn up here." Rose rolled her eyes, and busied herself with preparing dinner.

Only if Scorpius hadn't looked away to hide his flaming cheeks, he would have noticed Rose's face mirroring his.

…………………………………………..

He was a goner. And he knew very well why.

More than once during dinner, Rose caught him staring at her. After dinner, She asked him if everything was fine, her brow in a crease. Scorpius wanted to scream out a no, but he mumbled a yeah. Not convinced she placed her hand on his cheek and forehead, causing him to jump back a foot. The action surprised her, and before she could ask him anything further, he said he was tired and excused himself.

However he tossed and turned in his bed, wishing Rose was next to him instead of her room two doors away from his. Finally he got tired of the tossing and turning, and wore his pyjamas and went to his favourite part of the house, the balcony facing a nearby pond and lush green fields. He was glad that Rose had suggested that they move into a country place, she wanted a healthy atmosphere for her baby to grow in.

It was a full-moon night, and Scorpius could see the reflection of the moon on the pond, a large white spot on clear dark blue surface. As blue as sapphires, like Rose's eyes-

He groaned. He had to stop thinking about her. But he couldn't help it. She was ubiquitous. The moment he closed his eyes, he would see her, smiling brightly at him, her eyes crinkling around the corners. He would hear her voice in his head the moment he was about to do something wrong. He even ended up imagining her at Ministry Of Magic, when he knew she was always at Mungos during daytime. Whatever he saw around him, he instantly looked for similarity with Rose. Before he got dressed for work, he made sure he never dressed in colours she hated. The woman really had him whipped.

He felt that one day all of it would come out of him, scaring her away. He wanted her to know how he felt about her. It was too strong for him to handle. She had to know he was in love with her-

_Ah there_, a voice in his brain said, _you've finally admitted it_. _You are in lurrrrrve with her._

Scorpius raised his hand to push back his hair. He needed to get a haircut. His hair-casually-falling-into-his-eyes look had worked well at Hogwarts. His father who had been the epitome of tidiness, got a shock every time he saw Scorpius's unkempt hair, and constantly nagged him. His mum however, always told Draco to _back off_, because it looked great on _Scorpy _and it would help himget girls. But not the woman he wanted the most right now.

The cool wind hit his bare chest, making him shiver. He felt his body tense up, there was someone looking at him.

He felt a gaze piercing his back.

"Rose, do you want anything?" he asked, without turning around.

A second later, she was by his side, leaning against the railing of the balcony like him, their elbows almost touching.

"How do you do that?", she asked, indignantly, crossing her arms.

"I am an Auror. You should know better." He said softly, "Its good that you never thought of becoming an Auror. You would have failed Secrecy and Stealth."

Rose flapped her hands. "That's not why I came here. I want to know what's wrong. You haven't said much. I know everything's not right. Is dad troubling you again?"

Scorpius laughed. "He loves me more than he loves you."

"So much for being a Malfoy", Said Rose darkly.

"You're one too, remember?"

Rose turned pink. "So what's wrong? Since when did you start hiding things from me?"

Scorpius took a deep breath and looked at her and felt time freeze around him.

Who on earth decided to make nightgowns for women so that they are more comfortable at night? Scorpius didn't know about comfort, but he knew he'd never felt like ravaging Rose more. The thin dark blue gown showed the great curves Rose was endowed with. Her assets were accentuated even more, and with him being much taller than her, he practically saw everything at one glance. He cursed himself, as he felt a tingling sensation in his lower half of the body and getting instructions from his hormones to rip the gown off her. He turned to look at the full moon, waiting for Rose to leave. But she was persistent, and stared at him, with an expression that said 'I wont leave till you give me a satisfactory answer'

Scorpius sighed. She was so going to regret this. "What is falling in love like, Rose?"

"WHAT?! I mean what?" said Rose, turning red. "Why do you want to know?" she added suspiciously.

He shrugged, "Just like that. I had overheard someone at work, claiming that he was in love. As I have no idea and you surely do," he spat the last three words. "Can you just tell me what its like?"

"You've been losing sleep over _this_?" she exclaimed, relief evident in her voice.

"Well yeah! As I don't think I'll ever experience it, I was feeling quite uneasy." He said bitterly, avoiding her gaze.

Something flickered in Rose's eyes, but then Scorpius wasn't planning to look at her any time this decade, so he never took notice.

"Oh!"

There was silence for a minute.

"Love is something that just happens. It cannot be forced, nor can it be faked. Life starts to look more beautiful," said Rose with a small smile, unaware of Scorpius's face turning whiter with every word, "Life seems impossible or incomplete without the person you love. Your day begins with that special person in your mind, and the day ends with them. You spend every second wishing that if the person could be with you with every breath you take, and if they are, you would see yourself in the Mirror Of Erised, for you couldn't ask for more in life. They become the reason you live for, and the reason you can die for."

Scorpius wished the earth would crack open, and take him in. He was in love with her. And he knew his feelings weren't going to be reciprocated. He wished he was gay. Life would have been so much simpler that way.

Scorpius coughed, "So that's it?"

Rose looked at him as if he was mental. "You honestly have no idea about it? Love cannot be described or quantified. Honestly Scorp! No wonder Alicia Peterson said that you were as dumb as a rock when it came to emotions!"

"I know what else is there alright? I just don't feel too comfortable discussing it! Especially with a girl! I know a lot more than you think I do. It's just that I wasn't really sure."

The redhead glared at him. "Enlighten me, will you?"

"Well, I agree with all the stuff that you just said. The guy at work surely looks happy these days. Then what about the emotions you feel when you look at the one you love? You feel as if they are the most beautiful creature God could ever create. You wish nothing but to see them smiling forever, and a single tear, breaks your heart."

Rose gaped at him, mouth open. Scorpius stared at the floor, the back of his neck turning red.

"When two people are in love, the intensity of heat between them can melt a diamond. The moment they touch each other, sparks flow between them. They feel that their skin's on fire every time they make love-

Rose burst out in mad giggles, bewildering Scorpius.

"Where did you manage read all this??" she asked between breaths, eyes shining with tears of mirth.

"Happened to go through one of mum's books when I was sixteen", he said nonchalantly. "They should have put a warning sign on the front cover. Meant only for women having excess of tissues at home. Reading the first three pages was a headache!", he shook his head.

"You never read the seduction part?! I thought that was your favourite part of the book" she teased, coming closer, her smooth night gown brushing his stomach. She lightly ran her fingers across his bare chest, her eyebrows wiggling.

Scorpius groaned. She honestly had no idea how this was affecting him. He grabbed her arm lightly, trying to push it away, but something stopped him. One of the straps of the gown had slid down her shoulder almost exposing her chest, but Rose hadn't noticed as she was busy teasing him. He held the strap gently and placed it back on her shoulder, his fingers brushing her shoulders.

He felt sparks bursting through his skin where Rose's skin had touched his. He heard a sharp intake of breath from her. He finally looked at her face. She looked so innocent, unsure of what had taken place currently or why had she reacted the way she did. Her skin glowed brighter than ever, so fragile, so raw that he wanted to taste it.

He felt he was losing control over himself. The sight of Rose standing like that was really alluring. He wanted to do nothing else but take her this moment itself. His hormones took charge of his brain; he touched her cheek and caressed it ever so softly. A gasp escaped Rose's lips and she closed her eyes. This was it. He leant forward. He could smell the flowery scent that he always associated with Rose. He gently brushed his lips against hers, and felt all the nerves in his body explode. He was feeling light-headed and dizzy. He knew that this may make things awkward between them, but the sight of her, the taste seemed too intoxicating to leave.

"SCORPIUS!! ROSE!!!"

The Malfoy couple jumped, their noses banged together and Scorpius cursed fluently. He looked at her face. It looked impassive, as if nothing had happened.

Both rushed to the living room, from where the voice had seemed to come.

"HERE!!"

Both turned around to see a grinning Albus Potter's face in the fireplace.

Scorpius wanted to murder his best friend. He really did. Who else in the world had the habit of flooing at one am, especially when he was about to do something he desired?

"Al! Its one AM! What do you want?" asked Rose, yawning.

"You're going to be an aunt! Elora's pregnant!!" said Albus excitedly.

"Congrats", said Scorpius irritably, whereas Rose let out a squeal.

"Show some enthusiasm, Malfoy! You're going to be an uncle."

"Maybe I would have only if you had flooed in the morning"

Rose squeaked in excitement, "Shut up, both of you! When did you find out?"

"She had the whole thing planned actually….."

Scorpius turned around and moved to his room, neither Albus nor Rose took notice as both were too busy talking about the day's event.

He lost an opportunity to kiss her, and he felt pathetic. After ages, he finally managed to gather the courage to kiss her, and this is how it turned out. The gentle brush of the lips had made his blood boil. He wasn't sure what would happen to him if they had actually kissed.

The good part was that Rose wouldn't remember his attempt to kiss her and things would be fine between them, with all the excitement of being an aunt, this moment seemed too trivial.

All Scorpius knew was that he was to contact the floo network the first thing in the morning and block Albus Potter at night. He interrupted perhaps the most important moment of his relationship with Rose, _till now._ Who knows what would he interrupt next?

……………………………………

**AN:-**

**Exams have reared its ugly head…yet again…. But as I have d fic chalked out more or less..but I'll try my very best to finish update ASAP!!…**

**PLEASE REVIEW!!!! **


	4. A Blast From The Past

**Disclaimer:God bless Jo...she owns the epilogue of Deathly Hallows...hence the characters!**

**I'm terribly sorry for the late update!! But the work's finally done…!!**

**Thank you so much for your lovely reviews that always remind me that even though i dont think much of my fic...there r ppl who like readin it...n that inspires me to write more....**

**Originally over 7000 words..i got this crazy idea to split this chapter up….Coz it seemed tooo long as compared to other chapters…**

**Anyway, the fourth chapter…**

**Chapter 4: A Blast From The Past**

"Here we are", said Scorpius softly to his daughter, as they got down from the carriage. He chuckled in amusement as he saw the little one's eyes widen in awe.

"Ogwarts!", she squealed, her eyes trying to absorb the magnificent image of the castle against the backdrop of the evening sky.

Rose too got down from the carriage, a small smile on her face.

She and Scorpius had not come for the reunion last year, as Amelia was really small, and Rose had been really tired to muster the energy to meet and greet everyone. Scorpius too had decided stay back and help her, making her thank him the billionth time mentally. Would she have actually managed to survive if he weren't there for her?

They walked across the great lawns towards the entrance hall, Amelia still staring at the doors in awe. Things surely seemed unrealistic in size when it came to the little Malfoy.

Rose seemed very amused by her reaction, "The little chatterbox has finally been silenced."

"She seems more composed than you though", snorted Scorpius. Then changing his voice to a shrill excited squeak, "_Oh my god! The walls! Look at the ceiling! I read about it in Hogwarts A History. And the lake's beautiful just like Mum had said!_"

Rose swatted him on his arm, whilst he continued chuckling.

Amelia started fidgeting in her father's arms, a signal to put her down so that she could walk.

The Malfoy couple watched her walking, in adoration; she wobbled first, and then managed to walk a few more steps before standing still. Rose and Scorpius came forward both frowning. Amelia never stopped trying to walk unless she saw something unusual. A high-pitched greeting startled all of them.

"Welcome back to Hogwarts dears!", said Professor Flitwick, coming out from the shadows towards them.

Rose stifled a giggle as she saw Amelia and Flitwick looking at each other apprehensively. It must have been a long time since Flitwick saw someone slightly shorter than him, and Amelia had definitely never seen someone so tiny with whiskers, and wrinkles all across the face.

Amelia walked back towards her parents, frightened of the little creature in front of her.

Rose caught her and lifted her. "Good evening, Professor Flitwick!" she said pleasantly.

"Mister Malfoy and Miss Weasley-my apologies -Mrs. Malfoy, what are you waiting for? The party has begun, everyone's been asking for their Head Boy and Head Girl! Now come on then!"

They entered the Great Hall, decorated for the occasion. A huge banner hung behind the staff table, saying, welcoming the batch of 2023-2024.

Rose spotted many familiar faces, in the crowd, few unfamiliar ones as well. She however looked for a sign of a familiar blonde, and sighed in relief. Hopefully she wouldn't be seeing Ryan Smith anytime soon. The last piece of news she'd heard about him was that he'd been transferred to Wasps and therefore would be shifting his residence. He hadn't turned up for the reunion so just maybe (and thankfully), he is not going to shift back to London.

"Oi Malfoy!"

She turned to see Albus making his way towards them, Elora in tow, her face glowing.

"Hey!" smiled Scorpius, "and how are you feeling?" he added, looking at Elora, who couldn't stop smiling.

"Fantastic!!", she said, pushing her blonde locks back. "Its so…" she took a deep breath.

"I know", said Rose patting her arm, whilst Elora's eyes glistened with tears.

"Why is aunty crying?", asked Amelia, looking confused. She looked at her father.

"Its because she is going to have a little baby!", said Scorpius gently, poking her.

"Baby?" the little girl's eyes became as wide as saucers. "Like me?"

"Maybe not as beautiful as you", said Rose, her lips twitching into a smirk. "I mean look at Albus. Imagine the horror of that face on a baby…"

Albus scowled. "That's really funny, for I remember being voted the hottest male in school thrice in a row."

"You were always third, Potter!", snorted Scorpius, "Have you forgotten that I too existed in the school at that time. I had the most fan clubs in school."

"Whatever. But I still have the charm. I can charm any girl you want right now to prove it you. Now if you excuse me-"

"DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT IT!" said Elora furiously, pulling his ear. "I shall not have you running after another women, and if do, I swear-"

"That you'll hex the bits out of me," said Albus tiredly, "Now leave my ear, woman!"

"FINE! SUIT YOURSELF!" saying this she stormed off, whilst Albus looked at his best friends, looking moRose.

"I never knew that mood swings started this early. How bad was it with Rose?"

"Oh! Don't worry. No one can be worse than Rose. She's the epitome of moodiness."

Scorpius ducked his head to avoid an incoming smack.

"Neither of you can imagine the pain we women go through. Try shooting a watermelon out of you, maybe even that would not give the pain we go through", said Rose, scoffing, glaring at the men with her.

Amelia pointed at the enchanted ceiling, her mouth open in surprise. "Pretty!!"

Rose felt her annoyance evaporating, and she smiled at her daughter. "I know. So Amelia, would you like to see where mamma spent her time at school?"

Amelia moved her head, with the tiniest hint of a nod.

Rose turned to move towards her dormitory, when Scorpius stated, "Hey! I'm coming along."

She turned towards him with a snarl. "Why don't you stay here and have a little chat with you little friend how moody I can get? I'm off. And honestly Scorp! If I see you following me, you'll be sleeping outside in the garden."

Scorpius stared at her bewildered. "What's gotten your wand into a knot?"

"You call me the epitome of moodiness. Yet you don't understand? Shame! Now I'm off!!"

Albus and Scorpius stared at her back as she left the hall with Amelia, who was giggling because of the expression on her daddy's face.

"Really Al, did I say something?" asked the blonde, pushing back his hair.

Albus shrugged, "Women. They get upset very easily."

………………………………………..

"Welcome back Ms. Weasley!" trilled the Fat Lady on seeing Rose, "And who is the little baby with you? Yours?"

"Yes! This is Amelia," said Rose pleasantly, "And now I'm Ms. Weasley no more. I'm Mrs. Rose Malfoy."

A warm feeling surged through her as she said Rose Malfoy. The name had a nice ring to it.

The Fat Lady's eyes became as round as galleons. "Oh so you and Scorpius dear did end up together! Aha! I need to collect my money. Haha!"

"Did everyone in the school bet on us? Everyone?" asked Rose weakly.

_Why does the fat lady need money though?_

"Oh yes dear! Now I'm off to boast about my win-oh wait-you want to go in?"

Rose nodded. Amelia giggled.

The portrait door swung open, letting Rose enter a brightly lit Gryffindor Common Room, as if it was ready to welcome new students already, even though today was just the second of August.

She smiled on seeing the familiar maroon and gold curtains, the comfortable squishy chairs in front of the fireplace, where she used to sit and do her work, the large window overlooking Hagrid's hut.

God, she really missed this place.

She slowly made her way upstairs.

"It's very red" Amelia squeaked.

"I know dear. Want to see mamma's room?"

"YAY!" she squealed.

Rose opened a very familiar door, to give way to a circular dormitory with five beds.

She looked for the one overlooking the lake, and went towards it.

"This was Mamma's bed. At least this was the place where Mamma used to sleep," she said, passing a hand over the dark red curtains. She let Amelia go so that the little girl could move freely around in the dormitory.

She sat down on the bed, feeling the mattress go down to adjust her weight.

She lay down quietly, and closed her eyes. It was like she was back home. She felt all the tension of handling Amy, working at Mungo's leaving her. She felt like the wild crazy teenager she was, once again. Wow! It really had been a long time.

"Amelia! Come here sweetie! Don't you want to lie here with me?"

There was no sound at all, making Rose open her eyes.

"Amy??" she called out.

Rose then heard noises under her bed, making her spring up. She looked under the bed, and sighed in relief.

Amelia pressed her little finger against her lips. "Shh…don't tell daddy I'm here." And then she gave a crooked grin that reminded Rose of Scorpius. She chuckled; the girl was getting really good at imitating people.

"Ok! I wont tell..Shhh." said Rose, pretending to lock her lips and throw away the key. Amelia giggled.

Rose then got back on the bed, her hand brushing the headboard. She moved as she felt a dent.

She frowned as she examined it just to find that it wasn't a dent, but an engraving.

She felt butterflies in her stomach as she saw the engraving she'd seen on the headboard of her Hogwarts bed in her first year. It was a heart with two names in it.

_Lily + James_

Oh my!, she thought excitedly. This was her bed. She started looking for the second one. It was on a boring day, when she had nothing to do at all, that Rose had discovered the tiny engravings on her bed. She first thought it was an ancient spell, but on looking at it carefully, she realised it was some silly girl who wrote about her feelings on the bed. Later did she realize that perhaps it was Albus's grandmother?

Her handwriting looked similar to Uncle Harry's so maybe it was really her.

She found the second engraving on the right corner of the headboard and smiled widely. Another heart with two names.

_Hermione + Ron_

Rose had gotten a shock back then when she saw her mother's handwriting. Was she too one of those silly girls who scribbled theirs and their crush's name together everywhere? But then she had seen the way her parents acted around each other. Could anyone be more in love?

Rose trembled as she looked for the final engraving. She slowly lifted the pillow, and turned a bright pink.

It was still there, looking as if she had engraved it just yesterday, instead of fourteen years ago.

She slowly traced the heart, and the two names written in it, her heart feeling heavier with every letter she traced. She hoped no one had seen it. Even if they had, they must have made fun of her behind her back. She was just another girl who fell for his charms.

"MAMMA!! Hungreeee", squealed a voice under the bed.

"Oh bear!" Rose bent down, to get her daughter out, who sneezed instantly. Rose dusted her clothes.

"Daddy not come?", asked Amelia, face scrunched up in what Rose believed was anger.

"Daddy is waiting for you downstairs with chocolate! Didn't he tell you that?", said Rose, picking up her daughter.

"Chocowate?" asked the little girl, her eyes sparkling.

"Yes! But don't eat too many, even though Daddy does not mind you spoiling your teeth. Alright?"

Amelia giggled, as Rose patted her bottom. She however paused at the door to look back at her bed and gave a nostalgic smile on seeing the almost-not-visible-but-to-the-very-keen-eye engraving.

_Rose + Scorpius_

_Only if he knew….._

……………………………………………….

"Samantha has put on a little bit of weight."

"So what?! Her rear looks good as ever."

"Point taken. Oh my! Is that Bright?"

Scorpius choked on his drink, as he noticed the tall, svelte figure of an attractive brunette, across the hall flipping her long hair occasionally, as she talked to her friends.

"She looks stunning as ever!" said Albus, nodding, "Or even better."

"I wonder if Elora heard that."

Both looked towards the teachers table, where Elora was with the twins Lorcan and Lysander Scamander and her father, Neville Longbottom. Neville looked back, gave a small wave, encouraging them to join them. Elora glared at Albus, making him wince.

"I guess I would be sleeping on the couch tonight" said Albus, sighing.

"Have fun with that"

"Bright coming here. Bright coming here." Albus muttered furiously.

Scorpius turned to see Melissa standing in front of him, looking ever so gorgeous in the little black dress she was wearing, exposing her mile long tanned legs.

"Hi" she said, her brown eyes piercing his. "Been a long time since I saw you."

Albus left his side silently, not wanting to get into more trouble with Elora.

"Hey," said Scorpius smiling, "So how are you?"

"I'm fine!" said Melissa, giving him a dazzling smile. "I just signed a three year contract with Glad Rags Wear. They are paying well too."

"Modelling, I see."

"So you're now a full-fledged Auror? Been catching some evil doers?"

Scorpius raised his eyebrows. "I didn't think you knew about it."

"Well, I do know what are the most good-looking men from our batch doing?"

He fought the urge to laugh at her attempts at flirting with him. Merlin! It had been ages since an attractive chick hit on him. There was the deputy undersecretary to the Minister who hit on him, almost everyday. But he couldn't really classify as a chick.

"Not really. Being an Auror feels good. But yes, there is not much Dark activity going on around. So it's a free job."

"Is it now? I happen to know someone really evil. And I see that person every time I look in the mirror" she said, a smirk on her face. "Care to find the criminal?". She winked

Scorpius coughed to mask his laugh. This had to be the most straightforward up line ever used on him.

He opened his mouth to answer, when a voice startled them both.

"Nice to finally see you again, _Melissa_", said Rose, glaring at her classmate, Amelia in her arms.

"So we meet again, Rose." Said Melissa in a cold voice, "And nice to see that you have a little kid already. Still single? Someone knocked you up and disappeared?"

Rose's ears turned red, a tell-tale sign of a Weasley outburst.

"She happens to be my wife," said Scorpius, wrapping his arms around her waist. "I'm the one who knocked her up. Any more questions?"

Rose grinned triumphantly at Melissa who had her mouth open in the form of an 'o"

She however rearranged her features into a sneer. "Wow Weasley! You seemed to have hit a jackpot! I always thought you to be one of those girls who would never be able to find someone."

"That's really co-incidental," said Rose, with a fake laugh, "Because that's exactly what I think about you. And thank god, I'm never wrong. You are exactly what I think you are."

Melissa's face turned pink.

"Now if you excuse us, we need to have a family dinner", said Rose, walking off with her nose in the air. Amelia giggling in her arms, and Scorpius following her, looking very amused.

Rose seated herself in one of the empty circular tables, and transfigured one of the chairs into a high chair so that Amelia could be seated.

"Nice one, back there!" whispered Scorpius in her ear, as they sat down

"She should have some decency" Rose spat, making Amelia look up at her mother in confusion, "Hitting on married men! What was she thinking?"

"Please be seated, dinner is about to be served", came Flitwick's voice but no one heard as there was a lot of murmuring going on.

"What's wrong?", asked Rose, getting up slightly.

"Don't know. And don't care. Food's here", said Scorpius nonchalantly, as he piled food on his plate.

"Men", muttered Rose darkly, as she continued looking for the source of ongoing commotion. People were standing on their tiptoes, making Rose curse.

Albus joined their table along with Elora, who seemed to have reconciled with him. Elora seems to whispering in his ear, an action that looked like she was trying to calm him down.

"What's wrong?", Rose asked him, whilst noticing Scorpius trying to feed Amelia a sausage.

"Smith is here." Spat Albus.

Rose's mind went blank. Ryan was here?! At Hogwarts?!

"What?" snarled Scorpius, freezing in mid air, Amelia still trying to reach out for her food.

Albus nodded his head towards the entrance door.

Rose turned around, hoping that Albus was wrong. The crowd soon thinned as everyone started settling down to have their dinner. Rose felt her breath hitch, for there he was, at the entrance door, being hugged by Melissa Bright.

He looked absolutely splendid, wearing the most sophisticated robes she'd ever seen, his golden hair still falling on his head in graceful waves. His smile was almost blinding. His pale blue eyes still sparkled with mischief as he talked to Melissa, who Rose noticed was twirling a strand of her hair in her hand as she looked up at him, seductively.

She turned back to her plate, unable to figure out how she felt. She felt tears welling up in her eyes as she remembered her shattered heart, the betrayal and the pain she had gone through. The anguish was unbearable, but Scorpius made it better for her. She wondered what would have happened if she hadn't gone over to his place to ask for help. She shuddered as various negative thoughts engulfed her.

"Daddee? Mamma not ok!" said Amelia. Rose's head snapped up to see everyone on their table looking at her.

"You a' right?" asked Lorcan Scamander, his mouth stuffed with food. His brother, Lysander, rolled his eyes, and told him to swallow first and then talk.

Rose stared at them in surprise. When did they seat themselves on their table?

"You feeling alright, Rosie?" asked Elora softly.

"I'm fine! Just a little dazed." said the red-head, hastily piling food on her plate, and looked at Scorpius, who was busy staring at his potatoes and stabbing them angrily. Rose lowered her eyes to her plate.

"So as I was saying," said Lorcan, swallowing his food, "Trekking in the Himalayas is no easy task, though we did catch a glimpse of Oolglipuff Babuas. Big creature that one."

Elora frowned. "Are you sure you didn't see what muggles call a yeti?"

"No! Yetis are huge. Babuas was like this big-oops Sorry Rose!"

Lorcan had spread out his arms to indicate the being talked about creature's width, knocking a goblet of pumpkin juice onto Rose's blue dress, creating a visible orange stain on her dress.

Rose glared at him. He had spoilt the satin dress Scorpius had brought her as a Welcome home gift a few days after Amelia was born. It was nothing too extravagant. It was a simple knee-length dress, beautifully embroidered in royal blue at the hems, and Rose counted it amongst her favourite dresses.

"I'll go and wash it. If you excuse me-No Amy stay here with daddy. Scorp can you-"

"Go ahead! I'll take care of her", he said in a voice that she couldn't relate to him at all. She looked at him surprised, but he avoided making eye contact with her.

She got up from her table and went out of the Great Hall.

_Why was Scorpius acting like this?_, she thought furiously as she moved towards the nearest girl's bathroom, _did_ _his actions have to do anything with Ryan? What was he doing here anyway? Does it mean that he's shifting his base back to London? This can't be good. Nothing ever can be good if that guy is around._

Rose entered the first floor girl's bathroom, found the closest sink and tried to wash away the stain. After five minutes of trying and failing to lighten the stain, she decided to go through her spellbook, looking for a cleaning spell for stains that did not affect the cloth at all. She stepped out of the bathroom and started moving towards the hall, when a voice called out to her from behind.

"Rose!"

She froze. She felt her heart stop beating as she heard the familiar voice that used to make her smile, fill her with happiness, and make her heart flutter wildly. But she felt empty as she heard him coming closer.

"Aren't you going to look at me now?" he whispered in her ear from behind. She shivered as a chill ran down her spine. She had just taken a step forward when she felt her hand being grabbed.

And before she knew it, she was against the wall, Ryan Smith standing in front of her, hands on either side of her on the wall.

…………………………….

**There ends the fourth chapter…or half of it…**

**Please be kind enough to leave behind a review..it would seriously make my day..!!**


	5. He's back

**Here comes the previously second-half of chapter 4…**

**Warning: scenes of sexual nature ahead..**

**Disclaimer: Do I really need to write one…..refer to first chapter…**

…………**.**

**5. He's Back**

"Why are you avoiding looking at me?" he asked, raising his eyebrows as she stared stonily at the floor. "You haven't said a single word since I reached here."

Rose raised her head, her eyes blazing. The moment she met his eyes, she trembled inwardly. They were the exact shade of Amelia's eyes.

And Scorpius's eyes too.

"What are you doing here?" she growled, surprising Ryan.

"If I remember clearly, I used to attend Hogwarts with you. What's wrong with you? Still mad at me for leaving you?", he asked, a certain softness in his voice that unnerved her.

Rose glared at him. "I was rather glad when you left me, it made life so much better."

Ryan laughed. "My my! You haven't changed at all. You still have the sarcastic sense of humour."

"Thank you very much," said Rose, feeling very uncomfortable under his gaze. "Now if you excuse me-

"Where do you think you're going?" he asked, bewildered, "We haven't talked since I arrived here, don't you want to know how my stint with the Tornadoes was like?"

"I would have been interested if you were anyone else. But I happen to hate you-"

"HATE ME?! What have I done?! All I asked for was a break from us!", said Ryan, bewildered. "I told you that you were distracting me a lot from my game-"

"Distracting?" spat Rose, "You dumped me for that Patricia-Don't you dare deny it Ryan! I know you were cheating on me."

He stared at her. Rose thought she'd seen a flicker of fear in his eyes.

"FINE! I do admit I did go around with her. But it was nothing serious, I swear-

"Are you serious about anything else in life except Quidditch?!!", screamed Rose, tears building up in her eyes. _The git did shag Patricia behind my back, why that Bastard!!_

"YES! I WAS SERIOUS ABOUT YOU!!", he shouted.

Rose laughed maniacally. "Oh just look at yourself! No shame at all whilst lying! Can you be more pathetic?!"

Ryan looked at her pleadingly, "You are the only girl I've ever been in love with. And I still-"

"Please don't waste your precious breath! Just go and snog some random female! I was one of them wasn't I? Just another fling for you-"

"No, you weren't!" he growled, close to tearing out his beautiful locks. "In the beginning, I believed maybe it was just another one, but within weeks, it had grown into so much more." Ryan looked at her. "That's the main reason I broke up with you, apart from the distracting me from the Quidditch reason. I was afraid of commitment. Never in my life had I felt this way about anyone else. I knew I was in love with you", he said softly, still staring at her, "I agree I was seeing Patricia, but I was dating her before I got together with you. She was like a parasite I couldn't get rid off. I kept on giving hints but she never understood them. For me the relationship was over before I got together with you."

Rose's eyes flashed dangerously. "Have you heard of just being frank?? Why didn't you just tell her?"

Ryan ran a hand through his hair, "My dad and her dad are business partners. We were going thru a financial crisis and Mr. Jones helped us. Dad didn't think it would be profitable if I dumped her. He thought it would be better she dumped me. And that's when I decided to completely concentrate on Quidditch, earn a lot of money and help dad work independently. Eventually Patricia got bored-"

"You never thought of keeping in touch with me? Making me realise that it was just a break, and our relationship wasn't completely over?", asked Rose, disbelievingly, "Do you have any idea how awful and used I felt after the break up?"

Ryan didn't respond.

"Admit it Ryan! You never cared."

"I wanted to make myself ready for the road that I wanted to walk on. I wanted to give myself some space to think in. And I have. I have a contract with the Wasps. I'm being paid handsomely. I recently bought a mansion in Gloucestershire. It's beautiful. You'll love it!", he smiled, holding her hand.

"I'm not going anywhere with you!" Rose cried in disgust, yanking her hand away. "I never pressurised you for marriage. Never. It was always you, starting the topic somehow, and I just continued the converasation. Why did you make me see dreams that you knew were never going to be possible at that time? You never truly loved me Ryan! If you did, you would have trusted me with the whole situation."

"You don't know how difficult it was for me, Rose!" he pleaded, "When we'd started dating, I wasn't sure how would things turn out in the end. But as soon as the relationship progressed, I realised I was falling really badly for you. I tried to hold myself back, but it was impossible! I mean you're so…", he trailed off, breathing hard. "I'm still in love with you. I want us to get back together. I came back to London, just for you! I feel so useless without you. Marry me, Rose!"

"What?!", asked Rose, shocked beyond her limits. Ryan Smith comes back to London, and the first big thing he does is proposing to her? It just so wasn't right! She watched with her mouth open, as Ryan went down on his knee, and to her horror pulled out a small box. He gently held her left hand, and froze. Rose flinched as she felt him holding her left hand tightly.

"You're engaged" It was a statement.

"I'm married, Ryan." said Rose, sighing.

He stood up so quickly, surprising her. He looked at her fiercely, about to explode.

"Married?" he asked in a harsh whisper.

"YES!", said Rose, looking at him defiantly. "What made you think that I would spend the rest of my life moping around for you?! Yes, I am happily married."

"Must be quite a lovely little love match?", he spat.

"You honestly thought I would fall in love again to get married? Thanks to you, I know how painful it is to be sincerely in love. Our marriage is based on trust, respect and care", she said, "Scorpius and I are happy together-Oh! I'm married to Scorpius Malfoy, did I ever mention that?"

"You're married to the Death Eater?" he sneered

"He's an Auror," snarled Rose, "He is a thousand times better than you could ever be. So if you excuse me, I have to go back to the Great Hall."

Rose had finally extracted herself free from Ryan, who was standing still.

She'd just started moving when his voice startled her.

"You still love me."

Rose whipped around with an incredulous look on her face. "I do not!"

"I can still feel the sparks flowing between us. It's not over. It was never over."

"Its over," said Rose with a tone of finality.

"No it isn't!"

For the first time ever, she felt terrified because of the way he looked at her. The haunting, desperate look in his eyes unnerved her. Before she knew it, she was pushed against the wall, his body pressed against hers. She almost broke down then and there. Scorpius was right about him. He was nothing like the person she believed he was. _Scorpius, I need you…._

"Say it, Rose. Just tell me that you love me, that you want to live with me, marry me." He whispered gruffly in her ear.

"You're hurting me!" cried Rose, tears stinging her eyes, as his grip around her left wrist intensified. She closed her eyes, and ducked her head, as he tried to kiss her.

"So what do you think you're doing to me?? You-HEY!!"

Rose felt Ryan being pulled away from her, and she heard a sickening crunch.

She opened her eyes to see Ryan on the floor, clutching his profusely bleeding nose and an enraged looking Scorpius towering over him, his wand out pointing at him. He turned to look at her, his expression softening immeasurably. "You alright?"

Trembling from head to toe, Rose flung herself into his arms. As she felt his left arm snake around her, she felt like she was home. Nothing could ever happen to her as long as she was in his arms.

"Anyone with that sort of a grip is absolutely fine," said Scorpius softly.

Rose looked up to give him a weak smile, and he returned it. The murderous expression returned on his face, as he looked at Ryan.

"You lay a finger on my wife, Smith," he growled dangerously, "You'll wish you'd never been born. _Episkey_" He waved his wand on Ryan's nose, healing it immediately.

"Violent, are we now Malfoy? Things have certainly changed since school."

"We never really got a chance to interact in school. You never had the guts to provoke me."

Ryan got up and sneered, "You do remember that I'm a Quidditch player, Malfoy. Hurting me is not going to help you gain any positive publicity."

"I'm an Auror, Smith!", hissed Scorpius, his eyes narrowing into slits, "I have the right to take action against anyone hurting me or my family. Do you get that? Just keep your snooty arse out of my life. It would be much easier for you to live that way!"

"Oh I'd like to see that!" smirked Ryan, "little Scorpius hurting someone because he could never match up to them."

"Why You-

"I've been looking for you all over!"

For the first time ever, Rose was glad that the Brights ever slept together to produce Melissa, an attractive woman who chose to throw herself at anything walking on two legs, and with a hint of male genitals.

She scampered over to them, and dragged away Ryan with her. He left, but not before throwing both of them a look that clearly said, _it's not over, _making Rose cringe.

"Bastard"

"Language Scorp"

"Merlin Rose!! Amy's not here! I should have the freedom to swear and abuse whoever I want to when she's not around", said Scorpius incredulously.

"The way you speak shows the kind of human being you are" said Rose sharply.

"You sound like mum."

"That isn't the first time you're telling me that. Where's Amy?"

"Albus had said he'll take her around the Quidditch pi-What's that on your wrist?"

"What?"

Rose looked at her left wrist, where she could see red finger marks against her pale skin. Ryan sure had a good grip. She however took a sharp breath, when she saw long white fingers gently taking her hand. The way he was touching her hand, made her skin tingle to her huge surprise. She looked up to be amazed by the look of concern on his face. The way his eyebrows were furrowed, the way his eyes crinkled as he examined her hand, made her heartbeat rate increase.

"It's honestly nothing. Forget it!" said Rose flushing, pulling her hand back, because of the uneasiness she was feeling as he touched her hand.

Hurt flashed on Scorpius's face, but it disappeared as soon as it had appeared.

"How did you find me?', she asked, face still red.

"I saw Smith leaving the Hall, just a minute after you left. I thought you were having some problem with cleaning the dress for you were taking an unusually long time. But then Amy asked for you, so I came looking for you. And I saw that guy trying to shove his tongue down your throat. He didn't, right?", added Scorpius worriedly.

"You really think I'm incapable of handling a guy?!", asked Rose furiously, hands on her hips.

"Well, I was slightly doubtful as you left your wand at the table and he was your lover."

She turned pink. "Correction. Ex-lover"

"Whatever. He can be your y and z-lover for that matter-" Rose rolled eyes "-I shall not see you ever leaving the house with a chaperone, got it?"

"You've gone off your rocker, Malfoy!" she said, frustrated.

"I don't want him to come anywhere near to people I care the most about in the world," said Scorpius softly, his cheeks turning slightly pink.

"Oh Scorp!" sighed Rose, feeling all warm and fuzzy around the ears. She looked at him, and she realized it had been really long since she really appreciated just how beautiful, how perfect he looked. Her eyes ran over his perfect face. The way he looked at her, the way his lips formed words, made her blood move around in her body wildly.

She unknowingly placed her fingers at his jaw, marvelling how well-structured his jaw line was. She curved her fingers around his chin. Her fingers touched the corner of his lips. Her heart stopped as she felt his lips kiss her fingers. He slowly lifted his hand, and placed it on hers, smiling slightly. Her eyes stayed glued to his lips. They looked so soft, pink and inviting. Never before had she wanted to kiss him this badly.

"Thank you," She muttered, raising herself to kiss him on the cheek. She kissed him just two centimetres away from his lips, which made her heart thump with anticipation. She'd never really been this close to him. It was now really when she realised that he had the most beautiful blue eyes she'd even seen. It was as blue as the skies, with flecks of grey in his eyes.

"You've got beautiful eyes," She muttered softly in awe.

"Rose" he whispered huskily as he moved his hand into her locks. His lips met hers and she was gone.

_Holy Crap!! They were softer than I thought!_

She trembled, feeling her knees would give in any second now. As if sensing her fear, Scorpius held her tighter against his body. She felt her toes curl, as he pulled her head back slightly and slanting so as to gain better access to her mouth. His lips moved deliciously over hers, making her incapable of breathing. He gently prodded her mouth open with his tongue, and Rose felt her brain disappear, as she felt his tongue go round her teeth, making her shiver. She gave herself completely to him, allowing him to drink her in, allowing him to give her the pleasure that she'd never felt in a thing as simple as a kiss. She locked her fingers in his long hair. Merlin! His locks were smooth as satin.

Her blood was boiling, her stomach disappeared as the intensity of kiss washed over her. She felt surprised as she felt her back against the wall. She pressed herself against him, marvelling, just how hard his chest was. She was amazed how every part of his moulded so perfectly with hers. It was like she was an incomplete puzzle and he completed her. She wrapped her left leg around his waist, pulling him closer. She swore she could hear him groan as she sensuously moved her leg up and down his. She sighed in pleasure against his lips as she felt his hand slowly stroking her thighs, slowly and steadily going higher, making electricity flow rapidly in her lower half of the body. She felt desire building up in her rapidly. She needed him.

She wished this moment could freeze forever.

She wished he knew how all this was affecting her.

She wished he knew how crazily she'd fallen in lo-

Rose pulled back in horror, realization setting in. She pushed back Scorpius, who was blindly leaning towards her, hoping that she would continue kissing him. His eyes snapped open and he turned brightest red possible.

He put her down, and ran a hand through his hair, a habit he'd developed over the years, usually witnessed when he didn't know what to say. As he took in the vision on Rose staring at him, hair askew, hand on her mouth, staring at him in horror, he blanched.

"Rosie, I'm so sorry-I didn't mean to-I don't know why-I'm sorry that it happened-…"

_I cannot be in love with him, I just can't! I had a major crush on him when I was young…so what? I had gotten over him then. So why did I respond to his touch? Why did I want him to make love to me? Somehow, I feel its not just lust. It's something much more! But is it possible? I've already suffered enough because of love. Is my heart strong enough to suffer another heartbreak? He would never love me. How can he ever fall in love with his best friend? That too someone, who could not compare to him when it came to his beauty. I am nothing..whereas he's…. everything! Oh dear! I'm in love with him! CRAP! I'm in love! It's totally against the rules that we've set for our marriage that we've set for ourselves. He should never come to know about this. And he never will._

"…..let's just pretend that the whole thing never happened"

Rose blinked. "That sounds fine", she said, staring at the floor, her eyes prickling. _How am I supposed to pretend that nothing happened? This probably had given me a new hope that maybe; just maybe you had feelings for me…but there you go…breaking my heart yet again…._

"MAMMA!!"

The couple were startled as they heard Amelia's cry. They both looked in the direction of noise, to see the Potters coming towards them, Amelia in Albus's arms, tears in her eyes.

"Oh bear!" murmured Rose, as she took Amelia in her arms, the little girl's cries subduing. Soon she started giggling, as her mother hummed her favourite song.

"You might want to straighten to your skirt," said Albus flushing red, while Elora giggled.

Rose blushed furiously as she realised that her dress somehow had gotten folded up, and was currently exposing her thighs. She ran a hand over her dress, straightening her skirt while Albus looked away, whistling an unknown tune.

"So," said Albus in a strangled voice, "Shall we leave? Its almost 10."

Scorpius noticed Amelia's eyes drooping, "That would be fine. I need to talk to the twins, I'll be back soon. Rose, take the keys. Wait by the car. And don't leave her till I come", Scorpius added warningly to Albus, who was taken aback.

He tossed her the keys, which she caught with ease. Clearly, even after so many years of not having played Quidditch, her reflexes were still the were brilliant.

Rose, Elora and Albus took a carriage. Elora was still giggling when the carriage started moving.

"What's so funny?" asked Rose slightly annoyed with her friend's action.

"Albus's expression!" she burst out, whereas Albus scowled.

Rose looked at him, hoping he would give a plausible expression. Amelia had fallen asleep.

"We just happened to run into you and Scorp snogging, and I'm now scarred for life!"

Rose turned pink.

Elora ceased her laughing, "It was priceless, Albus's expression was. But honestly speaking Rose, I'd never seen a more passionate snog. And that is only possible if the couple is really in love with each other. It was just so…hot….oh wait…arousing is the word! I'm sure you must be having an explosive time in the bedroom" she winked.

Rose looked out of the window, her face turning hotter.

The carriage stopped at the outskirts of Hogsmeade. All got down, and moved through an alley to enter Muggle world, where Scorpius had parked his car. Amelia was uncomfortable with flooing and side-apparation. So her parents had decided to travel the Muggle way whenever she was with them. The sleek black BMW convertible shone under the moonlight. She'd managed to shoo away the Potters who were persistent about not leaving her just as Scorpius had said. Rose opened the car and gently put Amelia in her seat. She sighed as she took in her beauty. God really had been generous when it came to giving her child good looks. Her baby was really beautiful for her age.

_Just like her father._

Rose shuddered as the thought came to her mind, bumping her head against the car roof.

"Could you be any clumsier? Get in!" came Scorpius's voice form outside.

Rose sighed as she sat in front, Scorpius revving up the engine.

The whole journey back to their house was in silence, Rose looking outside the window, Scorpius looking straight ahead.

She remembered what Elora had said regarding Scorpius and her. Did they really look hot together? Did their snog really look passionate??

Rose remembered her early years at Hogwarts where she was swept off by her feet unknowingly by Scorpius Malfoy. And at that time she'd sincerely thought she and Scorpius would get together in the end, just like her parents did. She was insanely jealous of her too-pretty-for-age cousin Lily who got to see Scorpius more over the summer whenever he was invited over to the Potters'. She secretly celebrated in her second year when she did find out that Scorpius didn't fancy her. Rose felt hope blossoming in her heart, as they became better friends with each passing day, spent more time together at Hogwarts, sometimes alone together in the library. Along with the hope, her love, her yearning for him too blossomed with time.

Then one day in their fourth year, he confided in her and Albus that he had fallen rather badly for Melissa Bright, the gorgeous Ravenclaw. Rose had heard her heart shatter into pieces. That was the day she realised that maybe Scorpius would never fall for her since he fancied a girl so unlike her. She wasn't his type of a girl. He deserved so much better than her. A girl like Melissa who was beautiful and _apparently smart_, was perfect for him. It was on the day Scorpius asked Melissa out that she finally decided to get over him. She was just tired of the pain and hurt she felt whenever she saw him with Melissa. She was tired of hoping that one day something might happen between them. Even though Melissa had turned him down the same day, she didn't think it was worth getting her hopes up because she knew it won't be much time before Scorpius found someone. Then with time, and a few boys, her pain and her feelings had become history.

They had resurfaced for a split moment when she had kissed him under the mistletoe in their seventh year. Yet again she dug up a grave and buried her feelings in them. All because she was much happier without them.

But who knew destiny had another thing planned for her.

Not only had she dated Ryan Smith, Scorpius's arch rival in school, she got herself knocked up with his child. The most unexpected result of this whole mess was that she had ended up with Scorpius, something she had wanted ever since they met.

When he had proposed, she had wondered if the marriage would last, since either party had no feelings whatsoever, and for her, love and trust were two essential things to make a marriage tick.

Yet again, she was surprised.

But since they had gotten married, her old feelings had resurfaced. He was just so wonderful to her, that she could help but sincerely like him for what he was doing. He was the best friend anyone could ever have, the world's best father (though Ron Weasley would like to fight for that title), and the world's best husband. He always made sure she was happy, and there was nothing more she could ask for.

Seeing him bare-chested on the balcony two weeks back, had almost taken her breath away. She had seen the muscles on his smooth back twitch as he changed his position, few scars shone on his back, that she presumed were from Auror training. She'd almost swore when she'd been caught. The frontal look of his torso, however was more splendid. His smooth chest looked rock hard, muscles all cut in the right place. His stomach was toned, his skin shone, and because of his height, he looked like some sort of a Greek God. Her hand had ached to touch him. And when she did get a chance, she went too far. She knew she wasn't supposed to provoke him into "seducing" her, but she did. She wanted to kill Albus, the moment she'd heard his voice in the fireplace. The moment his lips had touched her, it had lit a thirst in her that had to be quenched. And today it was quenched. It was the most intoxicating taste ever. She knew whatever she felt for Scorpius was a lot different than what she'd felt for Ryan. This one was more passionate, more sincere, purer, and more satisfying. Maybe this was what people called true love.

Now that she thought about her relationship with Ryan, maybe it was just a fling. The thing that Ryan had believed it was. She was worried about Ryan's re-entry in her life. Was it really like how he'd said? Was he really in love with her? If he hadn't broken up with her two years back, would she have been this happy with him, as she was now with Scorpius?

The car jerked to a halt, pulling Rose out from her thoughts.

She got out tiredly, and lifted Amelia from her seat, who was still sleeping peacefully. She made a move towards the house when she felt Scorpius grabbing her hand.

Flushing furiously, she turned to meet his face.

"I'm sorry about today", he muttered, looking at the ground.

"It's ok, Scorp. Things happen. You forget them", she said, hiding her disappointment. _Merlin! Was I bad at snogging? Was that the reason Ryan had really dumped me?_

"I went a bit too far- "

"Its ok. Now I need to get some sleep. I have to report to Mungos at five-"

"Do you still love him?"

Rose was startled by his question. She looked up to see his expression, which was unreadable.

"No. I told you. Ryan and I are history," she said earnestly, touching his hand. He looked at their intertwined fingers for a long time, and then finally looked up to give her a tired smile.

"Give her here. I'll put her to bed."

She handed Amelia to him and yawned. She saw hesitation on his face, but to her huge surprise, Scorpius pecked her lightly on the lips, making her body tingle once again.

"Goodnight." He said with a small smile and he went inside with Amelia, also taking her heart and her soul with him, the things he wanted the most in the world, but not aware of the fact that he already has them.

**AN:-**

**Amelia is a very happy child. She's got parents who love her to death. So don't mind her giggling a lot!**

**If any one was upset because of the chapter split..I profusely apologize..**

**I hope it wasn't that bad….sometimes I feel that I'm losing my touch (:-P)**

**Anyway….please don't forget to leave a review behind!!**


	6. Becoming Vulnerable

**Disclaimer: Chapter 1 please**

…………………………………

**6. Becoming Vulnerable**

A slow September gave way to a cold October. The trees started becoming paler, and were stripped naked by the winds. The trees were bare in the Mungo's garden, the ground littered with various coloured leaves. People walked on them, ignorant of the beauty they were walking on. It was a sight worth watching from the children's ward, a sight that held her breath every autumn.

Rose almost chuckled because the nature represented how she was feeling. She was like the tree, not willing to lay out her feelings, but knowing if she does, she was sure Scorpius would just walk over them, crushing her heart while he did so. Her feelings would be of no real importance to him, just like the fallen leaves had no importance for the ones too busy to look around.

"ROSIE!!"

She was startled as she felt two tiny arms wrap around her legs. She looked down to see a small mousy haired boy, staring up at her with her green eyes, which shone with happiness.

Rose gave him a small smile, "Back are we now, Derek?"

The little boy nodded sheepishly.

"You are one little brat! I hope you never get to meet Edward. He's my nephew, your age. He likes to have a lot of fun", she said, bending to reach his level.

"Fun is good", said Derek, frowning.

"Not all the time. Especially when one can get hurt. Roxanne, his mum never stops him, and that is just sad. So what have you done now?"

Her question however was answered, as the Derek sneezed and there was a huge puff of smoke. Rose coughed, flapping her hands to fan away the smoke. To her huge surprise, there was a cat in front of her, with a really familiar set of green eyes.

She laughed. "Honestly Derek! You would never stop acting silly"

She gently lifted the cat, and looked for an empty bed. The whole ward was crowded with kids, some hiding under each other's beds to give their respective healers a great headache.

"Rose, need your help here. This one is going-OW!"

Rose had just turned when she saw a broomstick whizzing past her. She sighed as she took her wand, and halted the toy broomstick in midair. The little girl on the broomstick moaned.

"Come on Rosie!! Let me ride!" she pouted.

"I will show you how to play seeker if you finish your food and take a nap."

"Really!?"

"Yes Nelly. Now get down."

Being in charge of the children's paediatric department, a responsibility bestowed upon Rose last week, was certainly not a child's play. Handling kids, especially in the age group of two to ten, could be hell when the kids were at their energetic best. But somehow the kids always listened to her.

Soon Rose had gotten all the kids to quieten down, something the rest of the healers never managed to understand. They watched in awe, as the kids listened to Rose obediently, all settling down on their beds, ready to have their lunch.

"Don't just keep standing there", Rose shouted out to her fellow healers, "Feed them before its too late."

She kept the Derek the cat on one of the beds, and motioned one of the second year healer students to come towards them.

"Can you recognise the problem with this boy?", asked Rose in her most officious voice. "He sneezed and turned into a cat."

The student frowned, his lips pressed into a thin line.

"Come on, Russell. Do you think it's because of a potion? A Spell?"

"No", came the firm reply.

Rose raised her eyebrows. "How can you be so sure? You haven't even done a check up!"

Russell looked at her, sheepishly. "It's because of a Weasley wizard wheezes product, PepAnimagi toffees.

I gave one to my annoying little sister as a Christmas gift last year. It was fun seeing her turning into a snake, elephant, lion. Thank god she hadn't turned into a dragon…."

"So the antidote is with them?"

"I have a spare. I made Madeline McDonald eat one today."

He blushed red as Rose gaped at him.

"Give her the antidote as well", said Rose tiredly, "I want her to submit Mrs. Nelson's report by tomorrow morning. Strutting around Mungo's in as a lion is no excuse for late work."

She checked her watch; it was almost lunchtime.

"Alright Russell. I guess you can handle it now onwards. But do not hesitate to ask for help. This boy has a habit of returning to this place quite often."

She looked pointedly at the cat, who was staring lovingly at her. She chuckled.

She turned around to move towards the Healer's common room meant for regular healers. She had just reached the door of the room, when a memo came zooming towards her. She opened it.

_Rose,_

_Lunch at 1, at Vacanze Romane? Feeling too bored at home with the baby._

_Elora_

Rose quickly scribbled a yes, and opened the door to the common room.

The cubical hall had very comfortable couches, keeping in mind the healers who worked the whole day.

She went to her locker to take out her overcoat. As soon as she opened it, her eyes went to the picture pasted inside. It was a picture taken in the lawn of their house on a bright sunny day. Amelia, who was just a year old, was being taught how to walk by Scorpius. He was on his knees, and was helping her walk by holding her hands up for support. There was pride and joy visible on his face as he saw Amelia taking more steps. And then he threw a wink at the photographer.

Rose blushed and cursed. Just his picture could make her blush. Whenever she remembered the passionate snog, her desire for Scorpius reached an immeasurable level. Day and night all she thought about was him. Sudden warmth always filled her whenever she imagined his smile. And his eyes..oh god!..they made her insides churn so violently that it was a surprise for her that she never threw up. The way his hand had moved on her skin, made her feel as if it was on fire. Those bloody romantic books were right. Or maybe she was going mental, which would be nothing new.

"Honestly Rose! I know you can't get enough of your husband, but just stop gawking at his picture."

She flushed red and turned around to see her good friend and fellow healer, Roma Sinha smirking at her.

"I have been looking over for you all over. Where have you been?" the brunette asked.

Rose shrugged, "Derek's back."

"Again??"

"Yeah!"

"Come on Rose! Just agree to marry him and tell him that you prefer him when he's all goody-two-shoes. That'll make him rather reluctant to marry you."

Rose rolled her eyes. "Yeah, like that would help."

Roma sniggered, "Anyway, dropped in to inform you that my hen party is on the 27thth, 9 onwards at Club Enervate."

"Enervate?" asked Rose, her eyes wide. That club wasn't really one of her favourite places in the world. She had gotten _really drunk_ the last time she'd gone there, and had involved herself in a heated snog session with a random guy, whose face she couldn't even remember on the morning after. She'd felt so guilty about the incident as she was seeing Ryan at that time. But then she'd forgotten about it with time, until today.

"I know the guys there are really hot", said Roma dreamily and then suddenly snapped out of it. "I don't want any excuses. I just want you there. You ought to have some fun once in a while."

"But-but-isn't it too…umm.."

Rose struggled, but Roma guffawed, "Don't tell me you're still pissed about that shag."

"Shag? What are you talking about?" asked Rose sharply. _Shag???????!_

Roma guffawed, "You really know how to act dumb. You really don't remember? Right in the middle of Kate's party, you just disappeared after getting really drunk, and came back an hour later. Shehnaz said that she'd seen you dragging a guy with you to the loos. You came back looking really happy and dishevelled, and had exclaimed that it had been the best shag of your life." She chuckled.

Rose turned a bright shade of red. She had known that she had snogged someone during the party. But never did she remember her going at it with him in the bathroom. She'd acted like a scarlet woman. She cringed. She must have been the laughing stock of the party.

"It's alright Rose. It was way before you and Scorpius got married. So will you please –_pretty please_- come for the party?

"Okay, I'll be there"

"GREAT!!"

Rose chuckled at Roma's enthusiasm. She swore she could literarily hear her mind screaming out, _"I'm getting married this weekend!!"_

She wore her overcoat, and disapparated outside the Mungo's. She appeared in a alley few yards away from the café. The muggle Italian restaurant served the best salads and pastas that she'd ever tasted. The place was always teeming with people looking for a quick lunch or a snack. It was a place she, Scorpius and Albus visited every year on her birthday. She could smell the hot sauce put in pastas right till outside the café, making her stomach rumble. She shivered as she felt the cold wind hit her skin.

She opened the door quickly, inhaling the scent of her favourite calzone. She smiled goofily to herself as the scent washed over her. However, her smile and her stomach disappeared as her eyes locked with a too-familiar pair of blue eyes.

She felt herself becoming numb, as his mouth curved upwards in a smile, a smirk rather. Was he the one who'd sent her the letter??

_Turn around and leave, turn around and leave._

"Rose! What a pleasant surprise?!", he exclaimed jovially, inviting a few confused stares "Care to join me??"

Rose swore under her breath. She knew she couldn't create a scene. She also knew that she had to convince him to leave her alone. She walked with her nose in the air, not willing to show any sign of weakness.

She smoothly slid into a seat opposite his, and pulled her chair slightly backwards, just in case he tried to harm her.

"What do you want? You could have signed the note in your name", she said waspishly, crossing her arms.

"Note?", Ryan Smith asked looking puzzled, "I didn't send you any. I was spending some time in this beautiful Muggle restaurant you had always told me about and then I see you coming in. My day couldn't have gotten any better." He gave her a dazzling smile, making her roll her eyes.

"What are you doing in a muggle restaurant?", she whispered furiously, "I remember you refusing to come with me to any muggle restaurant before."

"So you do remember our time together?" he smirked, "And here I was thinking that you'd forgotten the best moments of your life" Rose narrowed her eyes, "I came here because I couldn't go a wizard place, with me being a famous Quidditch player and all. I came here because I knew I wouldn't be ambushed by screaming girls," and then dropping his cocky demeanour, he added softly, "And I was sort of hoping that I would run into you."

Rose sighed, "Ryan. Please for the last time, we are over. I'm happily married. I have a great position at Mungo's, where I have to be only for any five hours of the day. My life is running smoothly. Please don't try and put a dent in it."

"But Rose, don't you need me in your perfect life?" he asked in a sincere tone, he looking at her adoringly, "What we had was perfect. I can never get that perfection with anyone else. Rose, I need you"

He leaned across the table and gently took her hand. Rose was not surprised by her body's reaction. She was feeling _repulsed_.

"I told you to stop it. But you just don't get the hint do you??"

She suddenly got up, startling him. But to her surprise, he didn't leave her hand. He stood up, his eyes piercing hers. He pulled her closer. She stared up at him, her eyes demanding an explanation.

"I don't get the hint because I don't want to. I know we can work it out together to rebuilding a happier life"

"You broke the bridge we were building Ryan! There's nothing remaining to rebuild"

"Is that now? So why did you sit on my table, when you could have sat somewhere else?"

"I didn't want you to make a scene", Rose whispered through her gritted teeth, "Knowing you, you would love a scandal."

Ryan laughed, highlighting his sharp features, making him look more handsome. "Imagine the headlines! The gossip columns filled with articles regarding a famous Quidditch player, being involved with a married woman, tearing her marriage apart"

Rolling her eyes, Rose said, "Scorpius knows there would never be anything between the two of us. He wouldn't be bothered by the rumours."

"How about we put that to test??", he whispered seductively in her ear, raising the hair on the back of her neck. He pushed her towards him, so that their bodies were touching each other in an intimate way. Rose gaped up at him in shock; the git actually had nerve!

She was about to say something when she noticed that he had a look of pure smugness and he was looking at someone behind her.

She turned around and felt fear paralyse her as she saw Scorpius at the door, his hand gripping the knob a bit too tightly. He was staring at them, his face contorted in rage.

She quivered internally and weakly tried to pull away. Before she knew it, Scorpius was by her side. She closed her eyes, waiting for the worst to happen.

"Can I borrow my wife Smith?? I am supposed to have lunch with her."

"You can join us, Malfoy," She heard Ryan say, "We were just about to start."

"Bugger off Smith. I don't want to create a scene here. It's a muggle place. So if you excuse us-

Scorpius literarily tore away Rose from Ryan, making her gasp in pain as Scorpius's grip on her upper arm almost crushed it.

"I was leaving anyway," shrugged Ryan nonchalantly, his face still carrying a hint of a smirk. "So see around." He gave a mocking bow to the Scorpius, and winked at Rose, making her turn red.

Scorpius glared at him till he left through the door.

"Ah Mr. Malfoy!" said one of the nearby waiters smoothly, "Do you want me to escort you to your table?"

"Is it the regular one?' asked Scorpius in a shaky voice, which made Rose realise that he was _very_ angry.

The waiter nodded.

"No help required then."

Scorpius moved towards their old table, the innermost one in the corner. Rose followed him quietly, preferring to not to say anything.

They both sat opposite each other. The waiter placed the menus on the table, and left immediately, perhaps because he could sense the tension.

There was no need to look at the menu, as she had the food items on the menu memorised, but she was feeling too uncomfortable under Scorpius's piercing gaze.

"Well?"

Rose's head snapped up to look at him, who still had the steely gaze on her.

"Well what?"

"I don't know," said Scorpius in mock thought. He smacked his forehead "Oh yeah..What were you doing with him?"

She sighed putting her menu down. "I came here as Elora wanted to lunch with me. I just happened to run into him."

He raised an eyebrow. "Isn't it too much of a co-incidence that he was sitting in a muggle restaurant where you were about to lunch as well?? What's going on Rose?"

Rose's jaw almost dropped in shock. Was he suggesting what she thought he was?

"What are you trying to imply?" she snapped.

"I told you to stay away from him", hissed Scorpius, "Yet you go off gallivanting with-"

"First of all, I wasn't gallivanting with him, as you'd kindly put it. We just happened to meet here. I didn't want him to create a ruckus, so when he called out my name. I had to go and sit with him-"

"Don't use that excuse with me Rose! He's a crazy guy. You had a past with him, he tried to hurt you. I will not have you anywhere near him. Do you get that??"

Rose seethed in her seat, "I'm not your dog. You cannot order me around. I can meet and go out with whoever I want. If I want, I can go and shag him right now!"

The moment the words were said, she knew she'd gone too far. Scorpius looked at her as if she had slapped him. He took a deep breath and said, "We might not be in love, Rose, but loyalty is expected to keep this marriage working. But if you want, you are welcome to walk out."

Her eyes burned with shame. How did he always manage to do that to her? It wasn't even her fault that the git had reappeared in her life. Scorpius should have enough sense that she would not fall for him all over again. Especially after what he did to her. She also knew that she could never love anyone else but the man sitting in front of her, her husband.

"You are so stupid you know that!" she said, frustrated, "You're actually dense enough to believe that I would be stupid enough to fall for him again. You're accusing me of cheating on you with him. Of all the things in the world, you're accusing me of being disloyal?! He just turned up here and I just sat with him! He said some bollocks and you lapped it all up! I cannot believe that you trust Ryan over me."

She looked at him, her eyes shimmering with tears. He looked back at her, the resolve on his face crumbling. He turned red. "Rose, I just reacted because I thought-

"THAT"S RIGHT! You just thought. You never heard me doing or saying anything to him that might make you brandish me as a traitor. And I haven't done any of that sort!!"

To Rose's immense satisfaction, it was Scorpius who was looking uncomfortable now. He looked nervously at her, and tried to take her hand gently, which she pulled back furiously. Scorpius cringed.

"I am sorry." He murmured, staring at the table, the back of his neck turning red. "Albus and Elora are about to reach here in another five minutes. Elora was complaining about being too heavy to lift herself off the couch even though she's just four months into her pregnancy!"

He grinned at her which disappeared as soon as it had come when she glared at him, making him gulp.

Rose picked up her menu again, and skimmed through it, her body tingling as she felt Scorpius's eyes on her. She was trying her very best to not blush, smile or giggle. She felt it was unfair that her heart was so vulnerable to him. How was able to twist her emotions so easily? How was her heart able to go from spitting fire at one moment to doing the samba the next? The power he had over her was amazing, not that she'd ever let him know.

The moments were spent in silence, with Scorpius taking turns in glancing at the menu and Rose.

The silence was broken by the happily chattering Potters, who turned up ten minutes later. Elora's face was positively glowing, the bump showing now.

"So have you ordered anything?" asked Albus Potter, sliding into the seat next to Scorpius.

"No, we'd want the lady of the moment to order", said Scorpius, nodding at Elora, who beamed. Apparently, complimenting her kept her from going all moody.

"Alright!" she exclaimed brightly Skimming through the menu, she said. "Spaghetti Bolognese, chicken pineapple salad, penne in vodka sauce with veggies, so what would you like?"

She looked at the rest, who looked back at her blankly.

"Hey! I have another one to feed in here", she said, pointing at her bulging tummy.

The food was ordered came within ten minutes of the order. Elora talked and ate simultaneously, with Rose maintaining a silence. She didn't feel like talking at all.

Today's incident made her realize that Ryan's return to her life was much more significant than she gave it credit. Things were changing more rapidly whenever he was around. The first time she saw him, it led to her first (brilliant!) snog with Scorpius. The next meeting led to her first serious argument with him. Both times she was made to remember how much Scorpius really meant to her. She knew that she loved him more than life itself. Losing him would kill her. She couldn't deny one fact; their relationship was becoming more vulnerable with each passing day. Slowly and steadily. And that's why she feared to know what lay ahead of her.

She was startled when she felt Scorpius's fingers stroke her hand, the one that was on the table. She looked up to see that he was busy talking to Albus about something, while his hand continued stroking hers. Suddenly his fingers intertwined around hers. With a small smile, she locked her fingers around his, feeling the electricity shooting into her fingers, and spreading warmth into her body. She now started talking to Elora while feeling Scorpius's eyes bore into the side of her head, till Albus smacked him on the head and asked him to pay the bill.

"Wow! I'm full", said Elora, wiping her face with the napkin.

"Finally", muttered Albus.

"What did you say Albus Potter?", she asked, her eyes narrowing into slits.

The Malfoys watched in amusement as Albus hastily rearranged his features, and stuttered.

"Say it! Just say that you think I look fat and ugly!" howled Elora.

"NO!" squealed Albus, "You're not fat! You're just carrying a baby! And you look absolutely beautiful to me" his tone turned serious. "I don't think I've ever seen a more beautiful mother-to-be. I must say that I'm the luckiest bloke in the world because you are carrying my child!"

Elora blushed prettily, a wide smile on her face. Albus returned it, certain softness in his eyes that really surprised Rose.

"O-K-A-Y! Before you two love-struck teenagers start snogging here and make Elora go into premature labour, we better leave", said Rose shaking her head in amusement yet feeling jealous of the love her friends shared.

"Did you drop Amy at Lily's store?", asked Scorpius, as they moved towards the door.

"Yeah, Lily said that it had been a long time since she spent time with her favourite niece."

"I'm done with today's shift. The car's here, so I wondered if I could pick Amy up."

"Great!" said Rose brightly, "I'll join you in two hours or so. Derek needs counselling so it might take a little longer."

Scorpius raised his eyebrows, "The kid's back?"

"You have no idea!"

"As you are coming slightly later, Can I take Amelia shopping?"

Rose groaned, "No Scorpius! She already has Merlin knows how many dresses. Please don't spoil her rotten!"

"Hey! She's the first born! She needs to be pampered! She's a Malfoy!"

"That explains your mental behaviour."

Scorpius rolled his eyes, "She's my little princess. I'll do whatever she wants me to do."

"Oh you might want to listen to her" added Albus knowledgeably, "James was the first-born. And look how he turned out!"

"We happen to have more sense than your parents. After a debacle called James Potter the second as he likes to be called, they reproduced to have you and Lily! One cant get worse than that!", said Rose.

"Gang up on me!" said Albus scowling, throwing his hands up in the air. "I have work to finish so see you squirts later!" he kissed his wife soundly on the lips and walked off.

Rose looked pointedly, at Scorpius, her arms crossed, who finally said, "Fine! I wont splurge!"

She smiled at him and jumped at him to kiss him on the cheek. She however pulled back, mortified at making her enthusiasm so obvious.

However Scorpius just gave her a smirk, "I know. I know, I'm too irresistible", making Rose roll her eyes.

He got into his car, few cars away from them, and disappeared from their sight.

"I hope Albus is as good a father as Scorpius is, if not better. He is just so wonderful!" said Elora softly, absentmindedly touching her lower stomach.

Rose nodded, looking at her watch, "He's the best father my baby could ever get", not noticing the frown on Elora's face.

……………………………………………………..

"The usual", Scorpius muttered as he sat on one of the barstools of Leaky Cauldron. After a long ride to the Leaky cauldron, he decided to have a drink before he went to Diagon Alley to pick up Amelia.

"Had a rough day?" asked Hannah Longbottom, raising her eyebrows, a small smile on her face.

"You have no idea. Thanks."

As he sipped his chilled butterbeer with ice-cream, his mind went back to the events which took place in the last two hours. The moment he saw Ryan and Rose pressed against each other like that, he had felt white hot blind jealousy licking up his insides. He felt like taking out his wand and hexing the hell out of Smith so badly that he would not be able to recognise himself in a mirror. He felt so nauseous on seeing the two of them together like that, so close to each other that he wasn't able to tell where the other ended. It was like he was seeing his nightmares coming true in front of his eyes.

The whole situation had looked suspicious. They both were looking very cosy in a public place. It was only fair that he had voiced his 'opinions' aloud. He had expected Rose to defend herself, but hadn't expected her to fight back. And she always fought back when she knew she was innocent or when she was right.

Scorpius wanted to believe her. He desperately wanted to. But somewhere at the back of his mind, he wasn't able to. The way Ryan looked at her clearly told him everything. He was madly in love with her, and would do anything to get her back. Rose had accepted that she had been in love with Ryan, and she was a woman who believed that one can truly fall in love only once in their lifetime. Which meant she most probably had not gotten over him, at least not completely. It is the most difficult thing to do, try and get over the person you are in love with. He knew how tough it was.

Ever since he'd snogged her, he hadn't wanted anything else more. The snog had been enough to make him realize that whatever he felt for other women had been mere attraction. The way her lips had moved against his, the way the swell of her perfect breasts had pressed against him, the way her leg was wrapped around him, the way she just fit in his arms, it was perfect.

They never talked about the 'incident', but that did not stop him from longing to sleep in her arms, to hug her, kiss her, make love to her, tell her how much he loved her. But all he could manage was tiny kisses, pecks, and one-armed hugs. He tried to get over her, but she was always around, with her beatific smile, and those brilliant blue eyes. How on earth is a man even supposed to think with a veela like that living with him?

The look Ryan had shot at him today was of pure triumph. Scorpius could totally see him saying, _"She's mine. She's always been so."_

Scorpius downed the last sip of his drink, and wiped his mouth with his sleeve almost angrily.

_You're not going to get her Smith! I will fight for her till my last bloody breath._

…….

**AN:-**

**And that was chapter six… hope you liked it and it was worth the long wait..**_**.**_

**The next chapter is almost done…**

**I'm not going to update till the total review count reaches atleast 60..i know its too much..but then..**

**I'm writing this for you guys..and I want to know how you feel with every passing chapter..**

**Is it becoming boring?? What do you really want to see?? More romance? More humour?? More family time…??**

**Please leave your ideas behind if not reviews…then I'll know that whatever I'm writing is being understood n enjoyed…n not just being gobbled down..**

**Thank you so much for taking out the time to read the author's note!**

**Wishing you all a very Happy New Year!!**


	7. Surprises Galore

**Wow!! The response to giving suggestions for the story has been amazing…**

**I'll try my best to get them all together….**

**A special thanks to those who wrote reviews ****just because they wanted me to update…**

**There were quite a few suggestions popping up again and again…the one i felt i needed to address was that why Scorpius and Rose weren't confessing their love for each other…**

**A common reason can be that they both belong to proud bloodlines…hence comes in the ego…Apart from that, Rose cannot bear another heartbreak…and Scorpius….well he's just being a stubborn jackass..**

**Not holding you back any more..here comes the next chapter….**

……………………………….

**7. Surprises Galore**

The first thing that Scorpius heard as soon as he entered Silk Route was a loud crash, and then came a loud screech.

"Honestly Maria! I told you to be CAREFUL-WATCH IT!"

Scorpius grew slightly worried as he heard another crash. This was Lily's boutique, wasn't it? And where was Amelia? All he could see was a whole bunch of ladies looking through the different clothing items.

Must be the end of season sale, he muttered, trying to look for a familiar face.

"Scorpius-Here-OW WOMAN!"

Scorpius was startled on the use of his name. He looked carefully and saw his best friend's little sister, Lily Potter, standing next to one of the headless dummies.

He smiled at her, which she returned, and then she pointed towards her right. Scorpius saw a door barely visible beneath all the robes hung right above it.. He made his way through the crowd towards the door. As soon as he entered the room, he took a deep breath. Man was the store crowded or what?!

After getting his breath back, he looked at the room properly. He realised he was in an office. Lily's, he thought mentally. He admired the look of sophistication the room had without it looking boring.

Lily Potter sure had great taste.

His eyes went to one of the grand couches meant for guests, and saw Amelia fast asleep on it. He went closer to get a better look at his daughter. She looked so angelic. So beautiful. Just so brilliant. And she belonged to him and Rose only, and not the prat.

He had almost bent down to wake her up, when the door opened and a harried looking Lily entered. She leaned against the closed door, breathing deeply.

"Sale?" asked Scorpius, trying his best not to laugh. Lily's hair, which he presumed was tied in a bun, looked more like a bird's nest.

"Hell" she muttered darkly as she tried to regain her composure. She however swayed a little, leading her to exclaim, "Wow! My designs sure are popular."

"Are you okay, Lils?", asked Scorpius concernedly, coming forward to offer her support. She however just flapped her hands, telling him that she'll be fine. He conjured a glass of water from thin air, and she took it gratefully.

"We didn't-expect-these many", she said, between gulps. Scorpius just nodded. He however was surprised when she jumped at him to give him a hug.

"It's been over two MONTHS since I last saw you!" she said brightly, pulling back, "how are you?"

"I'm fine. Everything's going rather smoothly. How was your trip to San Francisco?"

"It was brilliant! Pretty comfortable too. Dad made sure that I went with enough security. It was too annoying walking with guys much taller than you surrounding me all the time."

"Well aren't you Daddy's little baby?" cooed Scorpius, pulling her cheeks alongside.

She smacked his hand away, "That would be Rose. Uncle Ron's perfect little daughter"

There was a silence. They weren't exactly very good friends, but definitely more than mere acquaintances. So conversations were slightly awkward to begin with.

"So I better get going", said Scorpius running a hand through his now shorter hair.

Lily jumped upright, "Wait a second."

She went towards one of the cupboards and took out a big box, wrapped neatly.

"Rose wanted one of my dresses. It was actually designed by her, so I thought she should keep it. Not that it isn't too much in demand. I felt she should have the first one."

She gave him the box, and let out another squeal, "Hey, can you wait here for a few more minutes. I just got this dress made. I wanted a guy's opinion."

Before Scorpius could respond, she had already frittered off, giving him the box and disappearing into what he believed was a bathroom.

He looked around, feeling surprisingly warm. He tapped his foot against the floor impatiently, checking his watch. _Why the hell do women take so much time to dress up??_

Over fifteen minutes had passed when the door of the bathroom opened. Scorpius felt his jaw drop, as he saw Lily enter the room in what he first thought was lingerie. He then realised it was just another dress that revealed perhaps too much skin. Albus would definitely not want to see his little sister walking around in a _dress like that._

Her skin was perfectly tanned, making her brown eyes look sharper as they bore into his. She had put make up. Maybe it was to complete the look. Her dress showed more than her cleavage and the dress barely reached her mid thighs. He then realised that she had left her hair open, and they were _curled_. Since when did Lily have curly hair? It was almost like she had dressed up _for him_. She hadn't, right?

"So what do you think?" asked Lily quietly, turning around so that Scorpius got a glimpse of her perfect rear. But _it's smaller than Rose's._ He mentally smacked himself. He was comparing their backsides, which meant he had been checking out Lily. He'd gone mental.

"You look-wow!", said Scorpius nervously, making sure he didn't add the word, 'slutty', "Stunningly beautiful!"

Lily smiled, "Beautiful enough to make any guy want me at first sight?"

"Oh yeah! If I wasn't married I would have fallen for you!"

She came closer to him, making him reconsider his sentence. Okay, maybe he had exaggerated a bit. But the way she was looking at him, was a tad bit scary.

"Well the guy doesn't have to be single to propose to me", said Lily quietly, looking up at him, her eyes blazing.

He groaned, "Lily…." He wasn't sure why he was surprised to see this. Did he actually forget about Lily's infatuation?

She moved a foot back quickly, turning a brilliant shade of red.

"Hey! I was just playing with you!", she said grinning, her smile not reaching her eyes.

Scorpius knew better, but he preferred to keep his mouth shut. He went to pick up Amelia gently, without waking her up. He was just picking up her bag, when Lily spoke.

"Have you ever wondered why I never asked you out?"

Scorpius frowned. He truly never bothered to give it a thought. But sticking to the diplomatic self he was trying to be, he said lamely, "Maybe because you were scared to date your brother's best friend?"

She burst out laughing, "I'm scared of Al, and James doesn't think he's the sexiest wizard alive!"

"So why?"

"It was because the first time I saw you and Rose talking to each other in my first year, I realised from the way you looked at her, that you were in love with her. It was as simple as that!"

Scorpius sighed. He wished things were this simple. _And third year?_ Hell that's too young an age to fall in love. Or maybe he was just too immature to understand such a complicated emotion.

He smiled at Lily, "Alright, see you around!"

She returned his smile, and looked down at the flooring as he moved towards the door.

"Hey Scorpius! Can you not mention this to Rose? The whole…ummm….", she asked nervously, turning redder with every word.

He nodded, assuring her that it was a secret and then he left.

……………………………………………………………………

Few Days later…..

"Alright, Ms Portman here needs a double dose of Skele-Gro, along with a Sleeping draught approximately 52 minutes after the intake of Skele-Gro," muttered Rose, as she examined a seven year old girl, on the bed, her hand in a sling, while the healer standing opposite Rose, was taking notes furiously.

"Do I have to stay here the whole night?", asked the little girl staring at her with apprehensive looking amber eyes.

"Oh yeah! Young lady! This is what you get for being ignorant when your mother tells you not to use your father's broomstick", said Rose sternly.

"But it looked so nice!" The little girl whined, "I just had to try it!"

"I used to be like you when I was young. I used to sneak off with my dad's broom, but I never hurt myself. It was because I was extremely careful and of course, Uncle Harry taught me how to fly", said Rose, sitting on her bed.

"You mean Harry Potter?!", asked the little girl her eyes widening in awe.

"Yeah! Hey lets make a deal, if you finish taking your potions and get to bed quietly, I might tell you some nice stories", Rose winked.

The little girl giggled. "Oh yeah sure!!"

Rose looked at her healer, Carl Martin, "I think you can handle it now onwards"

"You're amazing, you know that?" he said, smiling.

"I'm a mother Carl. If I can handle my own kid and Scorpius together, handling other spoilt brats is nothing."

She left the bed, going over to examine the other students with their patients.

"Vanessa hold her like this-No that would hurt-Yeah! You're doing brilliantly, Masaba but how about if you try this method! That's better! Russ-So-oh yes that's just fine…merlin! All of you are becoming so brilliant already! I'm going to the other ward now, so keep safe."

Rose left the ward feeling quite proud of her students. When the healer aspirants had been placed under her supervision last year, all had been pretty apprehensive of being taught by someone who was just a few years older than them and someone who wasn't even the head of any department. But eventually things became much smoother than expected, most excelling in their practical and study report. Since then Rose had been a teacher and a friend to all of them.

"Rose!" a voice called out to her from behind.

She turned around to see Ron Weasley coming towards her.

"Dad!", she squealed, jumping on to him like a little girl, earning sniggers from people watching them.

"Whoa! Easy there princess!"

Rose blushed red, "Dad not here…What are you doing here anyway?"

"Does a dad ever need a reason to visit his favourite daughter??"

Rose rolled her eyes, "I'm your only daughter"

"Well that's just not it, is it? It's been over a month since I last saw you. I miss you so much." The last part was said so sadly that Rose winced.

"Dad…I'm sorry," she said, lowering her eyes to the floor, "I have just been so busy!"

"It's my fault as well! I should have turned up at your place sooner-

"Mr. Weasley!" called a healer, "Raymond can be discharged now."

Rose raised an eyebrow at her father, who looked rather sheepish.

"Alright! I came to drop a student injured rather badly during the training. Kids these days are honestly so clumsy. Merlin! Scorpius was the only one who gave me no trouble. Talented kid, that one. By the way, are you happy?"

Rose was startled by the question. Out of all the things in the world, he had to ask this?

She replied jovially, "Of course Dad! You cannot imagine how happy I am. I couldn't have asked for a better family. Why did you think I wasn't?"

Ron looked at sharply, something he did when he felt she was lying. "Rosie?"

"I seriously am fine! It's just that the workload has increased a lot" she said tiredly, hoping that would convince her father. He, however, nodded.

"How's my little Weasley?"

"She's the happiest toddler I have ever seen. Scorpius insists on spoiling her with dresses and dolls, but I tell him not to! At times that man really drives me up the wall!"

Ron sniggered, "That's what we used to do. I used to pamper you endlessly, but Mione somehow always kept you on ground. So don't worry about Amelia. However do keep a watch on the rest of the Malfoys, they do tend to be a little snobbish!"

"You can tell them yourself!", said Rose brightly, as she spotted her in-laws coming towards them with Amelia in Astoria's arms.

Ron whipped around and sighed in relief when he realized that they hadn't heard him.

"Weasel", drawled Draco Malfoy as they were in hearing range, half his hair gone.

"Astoria, Ferret", said Ron nodding, making Rose chuckle, while Astoria rolled her eyes. Even though they were in-laws now that didn't stop them from calling each other nicknames. They did it just to maintain that some things will never change.

Amelia noticed her other grandfather and squealed, stretching out her arms towards Ron.

"Hello, my love. Grandpa Ferret troubling you a lot?!", he asked in a soft murmur, poking Amelia's stomach lightly, making her giggle.

"Like that would ever happen. I just happen to be a better grandparent than you could ever think of being one" Draco smirked.

Ron pretended to look hurt, "Yeah like you would know how I am with Amy. Oh by the way, I happen to have my hair. You on the other hand seemed to have become almost bald. Amelia's been tearing out your hair for not being a good grandfather?"

Before the matter could go further, Rose interrupted, "What are you doing here?"

"Annual Malfoy donation", said Astoria.

"But isn't it always around Christmas time?"

"Yeah! But this time they are running short of funds, so they sort of asked us. And I don't think it's that bad an idea. It's almost right before Scorpy's"-Ron snorted-"birthday!"

"That reminds me!" exclaimed Rose, suddenly, startling the rest, "Do you people approve of a surprise party for him on his birthday?"

"Oh!", Astoria's eyes became round. "Yeah sure. That would be brilliant! In the evening I suppose. Its just five days from today! Do NOT hesitate to ask for help Rose. And I hope you would be there in the country, Draco", she added sternly, making her husband gulp.

Ron guffawed, making Draco shoot him a glare, "Oh come on, Ron! You are much worse with Granger!"

"Like you would know", said Ron, crossing his arms.

"I saw a bit of demo at Hogwarts. It was pathetic really. Now where was I? Yeah, I'm off to Italy on tonight, and I would be back by the night of 9th. So basically I'm free on 10th"

"Great!", said Rose brightly, "Now I have to leave urgently! Dad, can I just talk to you?"

Pecking Amelia's cheek and giving brief hugs to her parents-in-law, she pulled her dad to a corner.

Rose blushed as soon as she looked at her dad, "I had always wanted to ask you this. Has there ever been a second when you've hated me for marrying a Malfoy?"

Ron frowned, "Well, to say that I was shocked when Scorpius came forward to ask your hand marriage, is an understatement. But then I hadn't met a guy who cared so much about you. I knew he was your best friend, someone who had seen you at your best and worst, someone who liked you for the person you are, someone you could trust with your eyes closed. So I didn't see why I should stop you from marrying him. And plus Draco had become more tolerable and bald, so it was a bonus", he smiled. "I presume I'm invited to the secret birthday bash."

"Oh yes! He worships the ground you walk on! You have to be there! Bring mum along, and ask Hugo to show his arse up there, all to be there by three in the afternoon. I'll make sure he isn't there at home"

Ron looked smug, "The ground I walk on? I guess Harry Potter fandom is on its way out. Make way for Ronald Bilius Weasley! I better get going Or Harry'll skin my arse. Take Care.", he kissed Rose on her forehead, and walked off.

...................................

"All right-ALL RIGHT!" said Draco, when Amelia kicked him impatiently, wanting him to put her down. He looked at his wife, "Wow! She's a whole lot more like Scorpius than I would expect her to be. She's got the bad ones though."

"Ssh! We're on the floor the most exclusive patients!", said Astoria impatiently. Draco gently let Amelia down, sighing. His eyes however caught a flash of bright blue at the end of the long corridor. He narrowed his eyes to see five figures with their backs to them clad in the same shade of blue, all of them having broomsticks.

"Bloody Tornadoes!", he muttered in disgust.

"You said something?!", his wife hissed. He flinched. Tornadoes was her favourite team in the league.

He just nodded towards them. Astoria's eyes became as round as galleons.

She squealed excitedly, "Can we go and get their autographs??"

Draco almost snorted to see his almost-touching-50 wife acting like a teenage fan girl, but he knew better. Over the years he had perfected the art of controlling his mouth, especially when it came to his wife.

Astoria straightened her overcoat, and walked proudly towards them, Draco following her.

"Umm-Excuse me," she said nervously, poking one of the players.

The guy whipped around, his height making him look rather menacing. "How did you manage to get here?!"

"We happen to be one of the people who fund this place", drawled Draco, coming to his wife's defence. He never liked it if anyone used a rude tone with his wife. "She just wanted an autograph of the whole team-

"For my grandchild here!", interrupted Astoria, pointing at Amelia, who was looking up at all of them, slightly wary of the strangers. "She's not even two, and she desires to play Quidditch after seeing you guys play. She absolutely adores you"

Draco rolled his eyes. His wife was more of a Slytherin than he was.

The players, save one, were all paying attention to the little girl, who seemed scared because of all the staring that was happening. She hid behind her grandfather.

"Oh she gets slightly intimidated by tall people. So how come you are here? Someone injured?" inquired Astoria.

The tall guy replied gruffly, "Oh yeah! The Coach. The beaters threw him off his broom, he had a nasty fall. So what is the little girl's name?", he added, as Astoria handed him a parchment and a marker from her purse.

"Amelia Malfoy. And that's muggle stuff. Acts like a quill, only you don't need an ink pot!", she said, as the tall tornado player eyed the marker quizzically.

The tall guy signed his name quickly, and passed it on to his team mates, who signed with no interest.

"Amelia MALFOY?",

Draco raised his eyebrows as he saw one of the players gasp out the name, staring at the parchment, shock written all over his face. People really needed to get over the prejudice.

"Hey! If you don't want to sign it, then don't!", snapped Draco. The blonde guy, came closer to them, and then looked pointedly at Amelia. "Your grandchild?", he asked, his face pale. Amelia grinned toothily at him. Apparently he didn't look as scary as rest of his team mates. "I'm Amelia!", she squeaked

Draco frowned. Maybe the guy wasn't feeling well. Maybe he should have gotten admitted here along with their injured coach.

"She's my son Scorpius's daughter. Isn't she just beautiful?", said Astoria, glowing with pride.

Her husband was taken aback when he saw hurt, betrayal, anger in the guy's eyes.

"You know our son?", Draco asked, surprised.

The guy shook his head dejectedly, earning him looks from his team mates. He gave the parchment to Astoria, and then walked off. Draco peered over Astoria's shoulder to see the last name signed.

It was simply signed Ryan.

Later, while his wife blabbed continuously to the trustee, Draco found his brain working over drive. Ryan's peculiar behaviour confirmed the fact that he knew Scorpius pretty well. He wondered why he looked so shocked and devastated about Scorpius having a baby. His insides churned, as a thought hit him.

Was this guy in love with his son? Was Scorpius bi-sexual?

He really needed to talk to his son as soon as he came back from the trip.

………………………………………………………..

**AN:-**

**Weird ending I know!**

**Okay…all right…there were no Scorpius/Rose moments…next chapter onwards..i promise there'll be a lot more……**

**To those who think Lily Potter has been put in d story just for the heck it…let me tell u she's quite important…one of the main characters actually….**

**The 60s review thing was because I have my exams going on…n I thought it would buy me some time…BUT DAMN!! They are getting over this week...therefore ****I can promise an update next week!**

**Anyway…keep reviewing…keep suggesting…they'll be loved and appreciated!**


	8. Getting Ready For A War

**Just as promised…**

**Your update's here……**

**Disclaimer: I'm not JKR..so I don't own HP…if I did..Ron and Hermione would probably have gotten together in HBP…**

…………………………

**8. Getting Ready For a War**

He couldn't believe it.

Rose had a kid.

She had a kid with Malfoy.

She had said she was devastated after the break-up.

Marrying the Death Eater and having a kid with him sure conveyed how devastated she'd been.

Ryan threw his glass of firewhisky angrily against the wall. The shattering of glass made a loud noise, which echoed in his empty manor. He was so stupid to think that they would never sleep together. He breathed heavily as jealousy and rage flowed through him. How dare Malfoy even touch his Rose? He wondered if Malfoy even knew about Rose and his relationship. Because if he did, then he wouldn't be married to her. He knew how much Malfoy hated him. Nope, he had no idea at all.

Ryan thought of ways to disclose his relationship with Rose to Malfoy which would make him leave her. He knew how difficult it would be, seeing that he could see love dripping from Malfoy's eyes whenever he looked at Rose. It was as if seeing Malfoy with her wasn't enough to kill him. Their kid just nailed his coffin. He should have been there instead to Malfoy. He should have been the one married to Rose, he should have been the father of her child.

He held his head in his hands, wanting to murder himself for letting Rose go.

She had just been an annoying little girl at Hogwarts in the beginning, a girl no one would look at twice.

Then suddenly in her last year she had blossomed into this beautiful swan everyone loved looking at. Ryan had tried to approaching her in her library, but something always held him back from going to her and starting a conversation. He knew it wasn't normal, because he generally was very confident when it came to girls. Maybe it was the fear of her being a very powerful witch. She wasn't the Head Girl at Hogwarts for nothing. Not to mention she was a Weasley.

He had dated the little Potter because he wanted to date someone who looked anywhere close to Rose, and she being the rebel in her family, went out with him, despite her brother's obvious outrage at them seeing each other. But the little Potter was tad too annoying for his liking. So he dumped her, and then convincing himself that Rose was worse, he forgot about his little obsession. School had gotten over, and he became immersed in building his Quidditch career.

And then one day, out of nowhere, he met Rose at a club, where she had been cordial enough. To make matters worse, she looked bloody gorgeous. A bit of dancing, a lot more drinks had ended in a tangle of limbs and clothes at Rose's place. Even though he was secretly dating Patricia, he started seeing Rose as well. He kept his relationship with Rose with a secret from the rest of the world, something Rose didn't mind seeing that all her cousins hated him.

But with each passing day, he found himself becoming more and more attached to her, which was against his will. She was so incredibly gorgeous, funny, full of life, courageous, caring and loving. What had initially started as a casual shag had grown into a lot more over a few weeks. One night after passionate love-making, she had whispered in his ear that she loved him, making him say the same thing to her, which woke his senses.

He was terrified and confused. Never had he felt so deeply for another human being. The relationship soon started taking a toll on his action on the pitch, leading his captain to threaten him. He knew it had to end, at least now, because he wanted to figure out if Rose really meant to him more than anything in the world, if it really was what he thought it was. And he broke up with her, leaving her devastated and distraught. He knew that she wouldn't buy his excuse, but she never said a word, and the next day he left for Italy.

Driven by the desire to succeed, he concentrated completely on Quidditch, winning matches and accolades. There were times when he wondered if Rose had been keeping a watch on his performances. Soon he became one of the highest paid players in Quidditch, and all clubs vied for him. From Wasps he shifted to Tornadoes, whose base was in London. The main reason for the shift was obvious. He was tired of living so far away from Rose. He knew she was mad at him, but he also knew that he loved her, and the love they shared was magical. He believed they would make up. But he certainly hadn't expected her to have moved on, marry someone, and have a child!

He groaned as he felt pain split his head into two. Maybe he had too much of firewhisky.

"Ahh, finished a bottle on your own?"

Ryan turned around quickly and then relaxed on seeing his friend, "Hey"

"Too much of that can really make you want chop your head into half", said Lysander Scamander frowning, as he leaned against the wall, "The hangovers are the worst. I'll get you some potion. Or do you want some Gurdyroot juice. It'll help you. Lehman told me to meet you. Is everything alright?"

"I'm fine. Just a little stressed out", said Ryan gruffly.

"Really Ryan, what is wrong with you? You haven't been yourself since you shifted back to London. Do you regret moving from the Wasps?"

"Not at all!"

"Then what's wrong?"

"You won't understand!"

"Well then make me!", said Lysander crossly.

"Nothing really. Had a little confrontation with Malfoy. There were some exchanges, that's it!", lied Ryan, staring at the floor.

"Haven't I told you to stay away from them? Just let them mind your business and you mind yours!"

"BUT THEIR BUSINESS IS MY BUSINESS, XANDER!"

Lysander stared at his good friend in shock. Ryan too had frozen.

"Perhaps you should sit down before I say anything more", muttered Ryan nervously.

Lysander sat down on one of the lavish couches, absolutely unaware of what was about to come up next

…………………………………………………….

"…..had come back believing that Rose would be waiting for me. And what do I find? She's married to the Death Eater's son. And has a kid with him. I love her, I cannot imagine life without her, help me get her! PLEASE!"

There was silence for a few seconds in which Lysander stared at Ryan pacing the room, a look of absolute disbelief on his usually calm face.

He cleared his throat, "So you were dating Rose?"

"Yeah", said Ryan bitterly, "And I was the world's biggest idiot to let her go. But I know she still loves me. I can see it in her eyes. How do I get her?"

Lysander shook his head, "You need to get over her."

"WHAT?!"

"Rose and Scorpius are _happy_. And they have a family. You might say something else, but I can clearly see that both love each other very much. Would you like to see her unhappy and heartbroken because you separated her from her husband and see her remain miserable for the rest of her life? If you really loved her, you would never want that."

"Rose belongs here, with me. She was always meant to be-"

"Would you just give up?!" said Lysander irritably, "You are one of my best friends, but so are they. So it'll be for everyone's good if you just get over her. Do you get that?"

Ryan just grunted and seated himself on one of the wicker chairs.

"When did they get married?", asked Ryan quietly, staring at the ceiling.

"July end. It was no surprise to all that they ended up together. But their announcement was really sudden. Before you know it, they were married, and then few months later, Amelia was born. They didn't waste time, I'm telling you."

"Few months later?", asked Ryan frowning.

"Yeah. It was a premature delivery, just about seven months or so."

"That's pretty dangerous. I remember Rose telling me about the fact that witches having a baby before the eighth month have an extremely high mortality rate."

"Amelia didn't look like a underdeveloped baby though. She was just as big as a just another newborn."

"Are you sure?" came his numb reply. _I can't believe it!_

Lysander started. "I'm positive."

"The baby wasn't premature"

"What are you getting at, Ryan?!"

"What if Rose got pregnant before her marriage?", said Ryan cautiously, excitement rising in him.

"I always thought Scorpius knocked her up that's why all the hurry-

Lysander's eyes grew wide as he realised what Ryan was pointing at.

"You cant be serious?!", he exclaimed, "You think Amelia is your child?!"

"Why not?!", argued Ryan, his eyes gleaming madly, "All the signs point to it. Scorpius and Rose never dated. They never had any romantic feelings towards each other. And then don't you think it was sort of odd that they suddenly announce that they were getting married?"

"But Ryan, they already knew each other so well-"

"Maybe Rose had found out that she was pregnant after we broke up. She definitely couldn't get an abortion, and neither could she admit to the world that she was carrying my child. Her family would have disowned her, not to mention that Potter would have killed her. So she went to the only noble Malfoy alive and asked for his help. And I know how much that asshole cares about her, so he must have offered marriage, and Rose took that a means to escaping humiliation-Wow! How did they mange to fool the whole world?", said Ryan breathlessly, "Rose definitely isn't as perfect as claims herself to be. And Malfoys are born to deceive the world"

An image of a little girl with red curls and pale blue eyes, wearing a green frock and smiling a toothy grin, came to his mind.

He smiled internally. He personally never liked kids, but he knew it would be impossible to not love this one. _Amelia was his flesh, his blood. Merlin! She was beautiful._

"Your theory isn't too convincing", said Lysander shaking his head, "Its impo-"

"It's more convincing than the crap Rose and Malfoy have built. I'm telling you Amelia is mine. She isn't a Malfoy, she's a Smith. I cannot believe that she hid it from me. All these years…..I'm sure Rose will react in a wonderful manner if you let it slip that I've found out the truth. Try it, Xander."

"I'm doing nothing. Seriously Ryan, you are really drunk and you have absolutely no idea what you are going on about-

"Malfoy thought he was slick fooling with other people, but he doesn't know what's coming up next."

"What are you planning to do?" asked Lysander, narrowing his eyes.

Ryan looked at him, his smile becoming wider, "I just have to get Amelia. Rose wouldn't be hard to get then"

"You think breaking someone's family to make yours is a good thing?!"

"Sometimes when you don't have anything, even that sounds like a good thing", said Ryan, sighing sadly, "You'll see, in no time I'll have Rose and Amelia with me."

"Look Ryan, I beg you to not do anything. For Amelia's sake. She's not even two! Don't you think it'll be pretty scary for her, if you just turn up at her place like that and claim to be her father? Just not right now, okay."

"Alright. But now isn't going to last forever"

…………………………………………………………………

"SCORPIUS!"

Scorpius was jerked awake from his sleep, as he felt someone shout his name in his ear.

"WHAT?!" he roared back, rubbing his eyes. He blinked and found that he was in his office, and apparently had been sleeping, with his head on the desk. Albus was standing right next to him.

"Honestly Al, you're going to force me to hex you into oblivion someday. What was that for?" asked Scorpius irritably, as he rearranged the papers he was sleeping on and secretly checking for any signs of drool.

"Get up Ferret Boy! We are required at the Headquarters in almost two minutes from now", said Albus waspishly, "The announcement was made half an hour back. Are you alright?"

"Yeah, haven't been getting much sleep lately, have loads of paperwork to do. Is it like a general meeting?"

"Nope! Uncle Ron called just you, me, and Chris. NOW GET UP YOU LAZY ARSE!"

Scorpius scowled as he got up, and followed Albus, cursing him under his breath. He however secretly shot a tripping jinx at him, making him fall on one of the Ministry ladies right next to him.

"I-sorry Ma'am", blabbered Albus, flushing red, as he helped her pick up her fallen pile.

"You better be", she spat, "It took me ages to put this all in order…."

Scorpius ignored them, and went ahead to Ron Weasley's office. He reached a door saying _Auror Ronald Weasley_. He knocked, and the door opened to reveal Ron Weasley sitting in his seat looking rather pensive, Harry Potter staring out of the window, Chris Thomas sitting on one the chairs. Ron nodded at Scorpius as soon as he saw him.

"Where's Albus?" asked Harry frowning.

"He got himself in a little bit of a situation"

Harry's lips pressed into a thin line, clearly disapproving of his son's attitude towards his job. There had been many times when Scorpius had been jealous of Albus being Harry Potter's son. But now he could only pity him, as everyone expected Albus to be as brilliant a wizard as his father was.

"Sorry-knocked over Penny-angry-was helping", came Albus's voice from the door, him panting hard as he closed the door.

"Very kind of you to join us", spat Harry, making Albus stare at him.

"Harry here is having his male time of the month, so do ignore him. We need to get on with the meeting", said Ron impatiently. The Redhead looked at his fellow Aurors rather seriously.

"We have a little bit of a situation in Italy", said Ron gravely, "Dozens of people have gone missing over the past few weeks. The people missing are mainly muggle-born witches and wizards. Recently bodies of two of the missing people were found in a boat in Venice. They were found mutilated to an extent of the bodies being unidentifiable. The Minster of Ireland has asked us to probe into it as they have failed to find any clues as yet. They haven't been able to tell if the killer is magic-hating muggle or a muggleborn-hating wizard. The injuries seem to be of such kind that they could have been done both ways, muggle way as well as through magic. He hasn't even made a demand for anything, not yet at least. So no one has any clue at all. However, the intelligence believes that the murderer is near the France-Germany border. We have to go undercover to look for the person responsible for the killings and the kidnappings"

Harry flicked his wand, and the wall was illuminated with the bodies recovered prior post-mortem.

Chris flinched, "Well the killer certainly had an idea about what they were doing, or did they?"

Scorpius wrinkled his nose, as his eyes went over the disfigured face of a…woman..he realised with a jolt.

How could someone be so cruel? They had to find the lunatic as soon as possible!

"It is a pretty dangerous mission", said Harry seriously, "The killer has no face, nor do we know whether it's a him, her or many. So it can take us ages to find the culprit. We have chosen you three, as you are our most capable young Aurors, not to mention sharp and agile"-Albus looked smug-"We'll be sending you along with two forensic department members and three tracers. Till now there are six people on board, Ron would be leading it, wanting the glory all for himself"-Ron smirked-"So are you up for it?"

"Why is that even a question?", asked Chris brightly, "It's time to pump up my adrenaline. I'm on board."

"Hey kid watch it!", said Ron, raising his eyebrows, "That enthusiasm can kill you. Literarily. I cannot guarantee that you would come back alive, seeing that the killer maybe behind you and you would have no idea he's there."

Chris shrugged, "I was just trying to boost the team morale."

"I too am on board", said Albus and Scorpius together who grinned at each other. Harry however frowned.

"Albus cannot go"

"WHAT?! Why?!", yelped Albus not being able to mask his shock and annoyance.

"Elora"  
"She'll be fine. Rose will take care of her while I'm gone. It's been ages since they spent the time together", said Albus firmly steely determination in his eyes, "Dad! It's my first real mission. I know I'll survive to see my kid. It's hard time that you forget that I'm your son and treat me like an equal. When I chose this profession, I knew what I was putting myself into, so don't keep holding me back"

Scorpius watched as Albus and Harry stared at each other, the resemblance between them more visible than ever. Harry however, gave him a small smile and nodded.

"I need to get going, and see if everything's set for the meeting. The French and Irish Aurors would be here in another twenty minutes, Ron just brief them alright?"

Ron nodded, and looked at the rest.

"We're to leave for France on the 11th at night. Carry light luggage. Essence of dittany is a must. And not a word about this to anyone," added Ron, looking at them sharply. "The killer might have sources in the ministry if he is a wizard. You are to tell your family that you are on one of your regular missions, even if they threaten to hex you into oblivion"-Ron looked pointedly at Scorpius, who shrugged-"Believe me. It's happened to me, and I survived. After the meeting you can go back home, till the night of 11th. The leave is to cool off before the mission. And spend some time with your family, just in case….", he trailed off, sighing, "So lets get some French toast, eh?"

…………………………………….

"And the princess left the beast", said Scorpius tiredly, finishing his story and looking at the clock on the wall. It was 8 pm. Rose was supposed to reach home by 5.

"But why?" asked Amelia sadly, who was sitting in his lap on the living room carpet, "He loved the _Pincess_"

"But your little _pincess_ didn't love the beast,"

"She's stupid!", she said scrunching up her nose in disgust.

Scorpius looked at her in amazement. "Who taught you the word, 'stupid' Amy?"

"Uncle Jamie"

He sighed. James was going to meet an early death.

"I want mamma!", said Amelia, jumping slightly on his lap.

"Me too baby. Me too", muttered Scorpius, as he patted her head gently. She leaned her head against his chest, playing with the buttons of his shirt. He loved his little girl _so much. _She was one girl he wouldn't be able to live without. Well one of the two.

At that moment the door opened and entered his exhausted-looking wife. She hung her coat on the rack.

"Hi", she muttered, and collapsed on the nearest grand couch. Scorpius started to get up, when Amelia, who had slightly dozed off, woke up.

"Mamma!", she squealed, getting off her father's lap, running towards her mother. She had just started climbing her mother's lap, when Rose spat out, "Not now! Go and have your food!"

She kicked her shoes off angrily.

Eyes brimming with tears, Amelia ran towards her father. Scorpius stared at Rose. What took her so long? She had worked for straight 10 hours at Mungo's, something she had done before. But she hadn't looked this exhausted. After feeding Amelia, putting her to bed (Mamma's gone bonkers!) and finding another reason to confirm James's early death, he went to the living room to see Rose staring at the ceiling.

He conjured two mugs of hot cocoa and seated himself next to her.

"Never knew that you were so fascinated by the ceiling. Want me to get it down for you?" he asked softly, giving her the mug.

"Thanks," she gasped, as she took her mug, her fingers trembling.

"You alright?" he asked, furrowing his eyebrows.

"I have been working non-stop. No lunch. No break at all. Have been handling the Emergency department the whole bloody day!", she said, closing her eyes.

"Well you must be really tired and disoriented enough to swear", said Scorpius soothingly. She gulped down the rest of the drink and then suddenly burst into tears, startling him.

"Hey! What's wrong?!", cried Scorpius, cradling her face in his hands.

She looked at him with her large watery blue eyes, "I am a horrible parent!"

"What?! Why?! What makes you think you are?!"

"I shouted at Amy for nothing! I made her cry, Scorpius! I took out my stress from work on her. That's not what was written in _So You Think You Are A Good Parent?_ By Sylvia Sliver.I'm a horrible, HORRIBLE PERS-

"Shhh…" said Scorpius, allowing her to bury her head in his shoulders, "I always told you, you read too much, and books are crap. But do you ever listen to me?" his hand stroked her back gently, "You are the best parent anyone could ever be. So what if you shouted at Amy? It was a mistake. And you learn from them. The fact that you're not perfect is what makes you a perfect parent. So don't crib over it, all right?"

"You sound like my dad", Rose mumbled into his chest, "You should have been born a Weasley"

"Oh no! Handling you is quite a task", exclaimed Scorpius, horrified at the thought of being Rose's cousin, "The rest of the Weasleys together can be a tad tiring"

"True, plus you're too much of an arse to actually be capable of being a Weasley"

"HEY!" exclaimed Scorpius. He felt her smirking against his chest. Maybe she was feeling better but that didn't mean that she would win this little debate "I'm too good-looking and refined to be a Weasley"

"Is It? But you're neither funny nor intelligent."

"I'm an Auror. So you need a hell lot of intelligence to become one"

"My family has three Aurors here in England, two in France, counting Louis and Teddy that is. So don't even think that you can measure up to-WHAT ARE YOU DOING?", she squealed as she felt his fingers brush her stomach lightly.

Rose sprang up from the couch, now wide awake. Scorpius stared at her, a wicked glint in his eyes.

"So you think I'm not intelligent? Well I certainly learnt a lot in Auror training. You know what was my favourite part of the training? When we were taught how to go about exploiting an enemy's weakness. Ticklish, are we now?!"

"No please! Scorp-NO!!"

Rose squealed as Scorpius tried to grab her. She took off, Scorpius hot on her heels.

"You'll never be able to catch me Malfoy!", cried Rose, as she flung one of Amelia's teddy beard lying around at him, and reached the long dining table.

Scorpius ducked and said, "We'll see about that-Oh What's this? You're cornered, woman!". He moved closer to her, raising his hands to tickle her. With a jolt, Rose realised he was right. She was standing behind the dining table, and the kitchen bar was right behind her. Just when he was a meter away, she fell on her knees, and went under the dining table, crawling rapidly towards the staircase. She ran up the stairs towards her room, all traces of tiredness absent. How this guy managed to remove all negative emotions from her was a mystery. She successfully managed to reach her room, which was dimly lit because of the moonlight filtering in through the French windows. She had almost closed the door to her room, but then Scorpius pushed his way in. She squealed and ran towards her bed. She had climbed on it and was about to go to the other side of the room, when Scorpius grabbed her by the waist. She lost her balance, and fell backwards along with Scorpius onto the bed. He straddled her, tickling her mercilessly, while she writhed under him, screaming murder, and laughing simultaneously.

"LET-GO-YOU-ARGHHH!!"

Scorpius blinked as he found himself pinned to the bed, Rose straddling and grinning at him triumphantly. She had his hands locked behind him.

_How the hell did that happen?_

"See Malfoy, this is why you should never mess with a Weasley", she said proudly, cocking her eyebrow.

"Oh really?! Ow Woman!", said Scorpius crossly, wincing in pain as she poked him in the chest and the sides.

"Does it hurt?", asked Rose in a mock innocent voice, and then poked him again.

"Ok that's it! Just because you're a woman-"

"Like that's ever stopped you-

"Fine! But you asked for it"

Scorpius struggled to pull out his arms from behind his back, while Rose tried to stop him from succeeding. He however managed to take out his left arm out and attacked her. Rose screamed, as his fingers ran across her waist. She lost her balance as he continued tickling her, his hands boldly travelling up her torso. She squirmed under him, head thrown back in laughter, her body arching towards him. Amidst all the tickling, Scorpius let out a small groan as he noticed that the top buttons of her shirt were undone, giving him a peak at what the black lace of her bra hid from the rest of the world. To his great horror, he realised that her legs were between his. As she was shrieking and twisting, she hadn't realised what her legs were doing. His breaths became shorter and more laboured as her knee rubbed his inner thighs, unknowingly of course. Eyes becoming wider, he stopped tickling her the moment he felt his body react to her grazing. He sat upright, face flushing with embarrassment. He leaned his head against the head post, and pulled up his knees to his chin, trying to hide the excitement her little act had led to.

_James in his underwear, James in his underwear_, he thought furiously, eyes firmly shut, calming himself down.

"AHA! I told you, you would lose! We are the better ones!" came Rose's triumphant cry, but Scorpius was in no mood to retort, "You should know that Weasleys are the BOLLOCKS!"

He figured she must have realised the condition of her shirt because he was sure he couldn't see the _chaos_ she had created.

After maybe a minute or so, she softly said, "It's safe to look again"

Feeling convinced that he had calmed down, he finally looked at her. Even in the dim lighting, he could tell she was blushing furiously. Flashing her best friend wasn't exactly what she wanted, in spite of him being her husband. She was playing with a loose thread of the bedspread, biting her lips ever so endearingly. Scorpius really wished she wouldn't.

_Kill me now, someone. Before I devour her, PLEASE!_

Awkwardness hung in the air, as both avoided looking at each other.

Scorpius sighed.

"I'll be leaving for a mission soon"

Rose's head snapped up, looking at him curiously. "Really?!"

"Yeah. On the night of 11th. Your dad told me to keep my mouth shut regarding the details"

He expected Rose to look disgruntled, and threaten him with a hex. But she just sighed.

"It's ok. I understand."

"You do?"

Rose nodded, "When I was five, Dad had to go on a secret mission to Albania, right after Christmas. He refused to share its details with Mum, leading to a huge showdown, much worse than their usual. He left without a proper goodbye. It hadn't been too pretty. Mum was very distraught the whole time he wasn't there. I hadn't seen her look so lost and upset."

"Poor Hermione"

"Dad came back three months later. He had missed my 6th birthday, not to mention their wedding anniversary and his 31st birthday. Mum didn't talk to him for a whole day. But by next day, it was all back to normal. Hugo said that he'd seen them snogging each other's brain out on the kitchen table", Rose wrinkled her nose "Ever since then, Mum has never questioned him about his missions. And she told me to do the same with you. These ones are the most dangerous ones. So take care, ok?"

Before he could reply, Rose was hugging him tightly, her head buried in his chest. He wrapped his hands round her, inhaling his favourite apple scented shampoo she used. He however was startled, when he felt wetness seep through his shirt.

"Please take of yourself. I have no idea what I'll do if anything happens to you. You've helped me so much. And Amy-Just don't go. I'm scared. Please don't leave us", came Rose's muffled voice. _And I'm in love with you. I'll die if something happens to you._

"Your dad would be watching my arse. Then there's Albus, the great arse himself. You think anything would happen then? I'll be fine.", he whispered softly, tucking her curls behind her ear.

Rose pulled back from the hug, and looked at him sternly through her tears.

"You better be! I want to see you in one piece when you come back. You're pretty horrible looking as it is. Amy is scared of horrible-looking people, so if you have tiniest bit of a scar on your face, I'll not let you enter the house."

"But what's the point of having a healer for a wife?! Come on!! A little scar wouldn't hurt."

Rose burst into tears again, making him pull her back into him, rocking back and forth.

"You're really volatile today", he murmured, passing a hand over her head.

"I know", she sniffed. He gently pressed his lips to her forehead.

There was silence for a few minutes in which Rose snuggled closer to him, letting the warmth of his body wash over her. Scorpius knew she loved him, albeit her feelings were platonic. But he wasn't complaining, seeing that she was reacting the way he would have expected any wife to do so when their husband is about to disappear somewhere. Perhaps this was the best way to say goodbye, knowing that when it would really be the time to do so, it would be almost impossible.

A loud rumble from Rose's stomach ruined the silence, making Scorpius chuckle.

"Come on. I'll fix you your dinner.", he said, pulling back from their intense hug and feeling the warmth leaving him immediately.

"I'll get changed", said Rose quietly, wiping her tears.

Scorpius got up from the bed and closed the door as he left.

Rose stared at the door, feeling drained. He was leaving on a mission, a mission having no definite time period, and no assurance of coming back alive. But at least he would be at home till day after tomorrow. So they might as well make most of it.

She got up, yawning as she did so. On the way to her bathroom, she froze as a thought hit her.

_OH CRAP!! How am I supposed to arrange his party with him being at home tomorrow?!_

………………………………………………………………………_._

**AN:-**

**That's all folks…**

**Hope you liked the little Rose/Scorpius moment there….I promise there will be more in the next one…**

**I need your help…as you can see predict the next one is going to revolve around Scorpius's b'day…I would like suggestions for the surprise b'day I'm having a major writer's block there..SO HELP!!!!!! Cause I really want to put it up soon**

**That's that..and no harm done…Do tell how you liked this one..**

**Reviews are loved and appreciated..**

**(I have a habit of talking a lot…so apologies :-P)**


	9. And Then There Was James

**Hey all! I'm back! ****  
****This chapter is the first part of the long one I had written… ****  
****Its not great..but I just had to update something! ****  
****And needless to say…thank you for your fantastic reviews n support…! ****  
A special thanks to Cherlemagne and KathGrangerPotter for their suggestions..**

**Disclaimer:- I don't own Harry Potter..if I did…I would have published this story..yes..there would be no grammatical or typo errors at all**

**9. And Then There Was James. **

"DADDY!!"

Scorpius stirred as he felt small hands pull his nose. Bright light pierced his eyes through his eyelids, forcing him to groan and open his eyes to see Amelia looking at him, her eyes bright.

"Hey munchkin!", he said lazily, getting up and placing her on his lap, "It's nine already?"

"Happy 'appy birthday!" she squeaked, raising herself to give her father a wet kiss on his cheek.

"Thank you!" he said, nuzzling her stomach with his nose, and making her giggle, "Where's mamma?"

"Bath."

Scorpius got up and hurried to brush his teeth. Then picking up Amelia, he made his way out of the room. He was walking down the hallway when one of the doors opened. Scorpius's jaw dropped as a towel-clad Rose stepped out from what he realised was one of the common bathrooms, her wet auburn hair down her shoulders. A surge of pure lustful, bold emotion washed over him as he eyed the amount of soft skin exposed by her. Maybe she looked shorter than she claimed her height was, but hell her legs were hot! The freckles on her shoulders looked so soft, making him want to run a hand over them. Her hair was a darker shade of red, and her blue eyes stood out more than usual. His eyes followed a droplet of water traveling from her ear, over the ever-so-delicate looking neck. He groaned inaudibly as the water droplet disappeared into her cleavage.

His eyes met hers, and she blushed furiously as she felt his eyes rove over her towel-clad form.

_Kill me someone! He must be so disgusted by what he was seeing! Why did I end up having Dad's freckles and Mum's crazy hair? Time-turner, anyone?!_

"Mamma! Daddy's birthday!" said Amelia, offended that Rose hadn't wished Scorpius yet.

"Happy birthday", said Rose awkwardly, shuffling her feet.

Scorpius sighed and looked at his daughter, "See I don't even get a birthday hug!"

"Mamma is a baddy!" said Amelia, scrunching up her nose in disgust. She got down and walked off towards the dining hall. Clearly she was still mad at her mother about yesterday.

"But I don't want you to get wet!" exclaimed Rose in her defence.

"You can take the towel off if you want. I have no problem with that"

Rose turned the slightest shade of pink before replying, "I prefer giving you a wet hug"

"Wet hug?" asked Scorpius, his eyebrows raised in amusement.

"Grow up, Scorpius!"

"You really expect me to?"

"Never mind. You asked for a hug. You'll get one. Happy Birthday!!!"

Rose jumped at him to give him the Rose-Weasley-knows-its-your-birthday-so-a-special-hug-for-you hug. Scorpius chuckled as she wrapped her arms tightly around his middle as he was too tall for her being able to wrap her arms around his neck.  
"Thank you", he murmured, inhaling the scent of the shampoo he so loved because of her. Feeling her nakedness through her towel was making his hormones do a wild jig, almost forcing his hand to undo the fold that kept the towel in place. He could see a lot from up here. Now all needed to do was undo the fold, claim it as an accident and meanwhile feast his eyes on her body.

He felt something else as well, something that wasn't really pleasant.

"Oh Crap! Your towel is really wet!"

Rose looked up at him with a smirk, "Can I say I told you so?"

"It wouldn't be you if you didn't. So how come you used this bathroom?"

"No water supply in mine. Maybe there is a problem with the piping or the pressure."

"Okay. What about my birthday gift? Don't tell me I'm not getting any."

Rose looked at him guiltily.

Scorpius put on an expression of mock disappointment, "All right-'

"Can I give you a promise though?"

"Okay?" he said, curious to know despite his jest.

"You can wish for anything in the world, anything you want. I'll make sure you get what you want. Even if it kills me-"

"What makes you think I'll ask for something that may hurt you, Rose? I'll never do that!"

Scorpius looked earnestly at her, making her smile. He ran his thumb against her soft cheek, and she sighed.

They suddenly realized that they were still in a very tight embrace. Both pulled back awkwardly.

"So..anything I want, huh?", he croaked, a million possible things running around in his head, most of them related to Rose and his crazy fantasies, "This might take some time…hm…"

"It's ok. Just think and let me know. But use it wisely. Being a Weasley by blood means that I'll fulfil my promise no matter what"

"Ok. So I'll see you downstairs", said Scorpius, unsure of what else to say.

Rose just nodded and walked past him towards her bedroom.

Scorpius closed his eyes and leaned against the wall, sighing as he did so.

Things were becoming very hard to control. He was sure that everything was about to spill over very soon. His love and desire for her was becoming more and more obvious. Something had to be done before it all came out and ruin everything he had with her.

"OI MALFOY!"

_And the prat returns._

He moved to the living room to see Albus Potter tossing Amelia in the air. She shrieked gleefully as she went up high into the air.

"You drop my daughter and you wish you'd never been born," said Scorpius sternly.

Albus caught her, and looked at him, "I'm her godfather, Scorpius. I would do her no harm. Would I Amy?" he looked at the little girl.

"No", she replied chirpily

"See? Oh and Happy Birthday by the way."

"Thanks. How did Elora take the news?"

Albus's expression became grim.

"She went berserk. Threw every light thing lying around at me. I was told to sleep on the couch. She said I had no sense of responsibility, and was running away from her because I was too scared of helping her through this pregnancy", he shook his head; "The woman has gone mental, seriously. The pregnancy is taking a toll on her. Just two days back, she asked me to make her chicken spaghetti with Strawberry jam at 3 AM! It tasted disgusting!"

"You had it?"

Albus looked sheepish. "Well in my defense, it looked good, and Elora was making these noises so…"

"Oh hey Al", said Rose, making an appearance in the room, completely dressed and her now dry hair pinned up in a bun.

"Hey! So what's for breakfast?"

"Pancakes, Cereal. Want any?" asked Rose, waving her wand to light up the stove and placing a pan on it.

"Nope. Just dropped in to wish Scorpius. I better get going before Elora finds me absent from the house. Might as well as spend the last day with her in peace. See you later"

Silence descended on the Malfoy household as the topic of the mission reverberated mutely in the air.

Amelia seemed to have made peace with her mother, as she ate her cereal delightedly.

"So what are your plans for today?" asked Rose as she flipped the pancakes. The silence between them seemed to be too suffocating.

"Don't know how to spend my last day here," said Scorpius nonchalantly but blanched when he saw Rose cringe, "Sorry."

"It's alright", muttered Rose, as she added pancakes to his plates

Another silence descended on them, broken by an occasional giggle from Amelia, who thought the atmosphere was too quiet for her liking.

"So I better get going", said Rose awkwardly.

"You're going to Mungo's?" asked Scorpius sitting up straighter, disappointment flooding him, "Today?"

"I have duty at the emergency department today as well. So I guess I'll be there for at least 10 hours. I'm sorry, but I have to be there."

"Hey, I'm cool. I'll be fine here with Amelia." his face saying otherwise.

He desperately wanted to use his present. He wanted Rose to stay with him and Amelia today. Nothing would have been a greater present than spending the day with the two girls he loved the most in the world. But he got this feeling that he would need the promise in future, a future that looked more and more uncertain with each passing day.

Rose felt her heart rip apart as she saw the look on his face. She hated seeing the look of disappointment and hurt on his face. But this was all a part of the plan she'd made for the day. And she hoped that the final thing would be worth hurting him on his special day.

"You're doing brilliantly, just fine," said Scorpius gently, as he helped his daughter ride the little toy broomstick in their backyard.

"I'm not going to fall, am I?" asked Amelia, looking at the ground two feet below her apprehensively.

"If you're not scared, you definitely wont. Do you want to go higher?"

Amelia nodded. The hair on the back of his neck suddenly prickled and he looked around. He felt someone's eyes on him. But there wasn't anyone in sight. Just as he was about to exclaim 'Revalio', Albus's voice startled him.

"Charming Scorpius, really. You think she's going to grow up into a champion flyer?"  
Scorpius sighed, "Honestly Al, ever heard of knocking or dropping by after giving prior information-Oh hey Elora!" as he added, when Albus's very pregnant wife appeared behind him.

"Happy Birthday!" Elora Potter exclaimed, giving him a gentle hug.

"And how's Potter Jr. doing?" asked Scorpius smiling, looking at the bump.

"Fantabulous", she said, stroking her belly lovingly.

"So how come you guys are here, I thought you would want to stay alone today!"

"So I was thinking, how about we go fishing?" said Albus nonchalantly.

Scorpius raised an eyebrow, "Why?"

Albus and Elora looked at each other.

"You might want to take a little break from handling Amy," said Elora smiling slightly, "You've been doing this since Rose left, and it's almost 3 now. Just go and relax by the pond. Albus wanted to fish anyway so..I'll take care of Amy."

Scorpius looked at them suspiciously.

"What?! Can't I think good for you?" asked Albus incredulously, "Come on! Just wear some muggle clothing. Taking a break will help you relax!"

The blonde just shrugged and looked at his daughter, who was stuck in mid-air.

"Sweetie. Daddy has to go with Uncle Bus," said Scorpius, using the name Amelia had for Albus, "Can you stay with Auntie Elora?"

"Only if she tells me about the baby?" said Amelia curiously.

Elora nodded frantically.

"Ok then, see you soon!" he kissed his daughter's head, and moved upstairs to change. He pulled on a shirt over a black t-shirt, wore an old pair of jeans, and checked himself in the mirror.

He looked like a muggle teenager. Would this get up make him more appealing to Rose? Ryan still had the boyish good looks whereas his own face seemed more mature and lined from all the tension of being an Auror and how to handle his love for Rose. He smirked at his reflection.

"Smooth," he drawled cockily, and then shut up immediately. That felt really idiotic, and too James Potterish.

He went downstairs to the living room to see Albus wearing clothes similar to his, and carrying what he believed were two fishing poles. He had a little box in his other hand.  
"So let's go", said Albus tossing Scorpius his fishing pole.

"Bysie bye!" squealed Amelia, following them till the door. Elora watched till she could see them as little specks next to the humongous pond, almost half a mile away. There were already few other muggles there.

She closed the door quickly startling Amelia.

"Auntie, can you tell me about the baby now?" she asked, looking up hopefully at her.  
"Not now Amelia, but I do have a little work for you", said Elora, walking towards the spacious backyard.

Just then the clock struck three, and five people appeared out of thin air. Four apparating and one removing the invisibility cloak.

"Mamma!" exclaimed Amelia happily, as she saw her mother appear from under the cloak.

"Hello bear", said Rose, lifting her daughter in her arms.

"You've been here all this time?" asked Elora, amazed.

"Not really. I came back at two. Since then, I've been sitting under the invisibility cloak here. I was shocked Scorpius never felt my presence. Or maybe I've just gotten better with stealth."

"Give her here Rose, it's been ages since I had her in my arms," drawled Draco Malfoy, as he approached his daughter-in-law and grand-daughter.

"You know what, Ferret?" said Ron Weasley, scurrying over to them, "It's been a longer time for me so if you excuse me-"

"Back off Weasel! The paternal grandfather has got more of a right over his grandchild so-"

"The paternal grandfather is mentally unstable. So he cannot be trusted with this job. So give her here, Rose"

"Gentlemen PLEASE!" said James Potter pompously, coming between the two men, "She might be your granddaughter, but she is my god child."

"Albus is her godfather. You are Ed's godfather." said Rose, raising her eyebrows. Amelia watched curiously.

"Really?! Oh well…I guess I've been proclaiming the wrong kid as my godchild…Oh Rose, can I hold her, seeing that these two would start a war here if Amelia is given to either of them?"

"That would be just fine", said Rose in relief, handing Amelia to James, while Draco and Ron scowled.

"So Amy? Ready to have some fun?" asked James smiling.

"Yes Uncle Nicompoooooo!"

Ron and Draco snorted as Rose narrowed her eyes dangerously. James laughed nervously, "I swear this had to be from Fred. You know me, Rose. I wouldn't teach Amelia any swear words or abuses. Would I Amy?"

Amelia just giggled.

"Mum's turning up with the food at four," said Hugo Weasley tiredly, plonking himself on the neatly trimmed grass. "It's ready at the restaurant. It's just that I'm not too confident about carrying that all that food with me around with me. I'm too clumsy"

"Cooking is an art only the graceful ones can handle," said Rose, her voice carrying a hint of French accent, "Isn't that what you used to say in the beginning?"

"Well what else is a chef supposed to say?"

"Don't know about that but you could have definitely asked someone else to take care of the catering", asked Ron irritably.

Rose almost snorted. She knew her parents very well. She knew her dad was looking forward to spending some alone time with her mum, something he usually did almost once in two days, or when there wasn't anyone at home, or when she got really fired up. She had once overheard her dad telling Uncle Harry that he always got really turned on whenever his wife went ballistic.

He would have definitely wanted to spend some time with her mum, before he left.  
Rose sighed sadly, as she remembered that Scorpius would leave tomorrow night.

She turned to Elora who had a quizzical look on her face.

"What?" asked Rose.

"Have you ever thought of giving Amelia a sibling?"

Rose nodded. Of course she had thought about giving Amelia a little sister or a brother. Growing up as a Weasley meant hordes of annoying but loving cousins and not to mention that all of her cousins had at least one sibling. She absolutely loved Hugo, even though he was mostly a pain in the arse. She definitely didn't want Amelia to grow up alone.

"Great! So there is a possibility that Ron and Draco might live peacefully. So are you guys trying?"

But then that would mean, thought Rose turning pink, she would have to talk to Scorpius about them trying for a kid. She would have to sleep with him. She suddenly started feeling a little hot. The thought definitely wasn't uncomfortable. Only she knew how much she lusted for him, to have him on top of her or rather her on top of him.

She giggled.

"Not really. We haven't really talked about it thoroughly. But once we do…Draco!" she exclaimed, startling Elora, "When's Astoria coming? I need the recipe for the cake!"  
Ron stared at her. "You're going to bake the birthday cake? Sorry to say this Rosie, but you're AWFUL when it comes to baking cakes! I thought you were mortally afraid of baking cakes"

Rose flushed, "I'm not that bad"

"Oh yes dear sis. You are." said Hugo, smirking, "Remember Dad and I almost died of food poisoning on my 13th birthday?!"

"To be fair. It wasn't that bad," said Ron, a small smile on his face, "I think you had just missed out on the sugar and there was too much of cocoa"

Rose's shoulders slumped. "But I just felt that I should try making one for Scorpius. He knows I cannot bake a thing as simple as a cake. I just thought I could surprise him!"

"She'll be here in a few minutes," drawled Draco, "Just get all the ingredients ready till then"

Rose nodded and moved towards the kitchen.

Few more cracks were heard and soon the place was crowded. James and Fred were setting up the music speakers and the dance floor. Hugo and Lily were taking care of the tables and food. Ron and Hermione had mysteriously disappeared somewhere. Harry and Ginny were sitting and talking to Elora happily, while Amelia sat in Draco's lap, watching the whole scene in awe.

Astoria was instructing Rose on how to bake Scorpius's favourite chocolate cake, something she'd tried a number of times, but had failed miserably.

"The batter tastes brilliant!" said Astoria, checking the taste, while Rose let out a sigh of relief. The work was half done, "It tastes better than mine."

After putting the cake in the oven, Astoria patted her back. "You're finally done my dear. He's going to be so proud of you!"

"I hope so too. I'll just get changed. Amy!!"

Soon the Scamander twins, Chris Thomas with his fiancée, Roxanne Jordon with her family had turned up.

"Hugo, have you seen your parents?" asked Harry worriedly, "Haven't seen them in a while!"

"Funny you should ask, Uncle Harry. I thought you would know where they are!"

"Why would I-Oh!", Harry turned pink, and shook his head at his best friends acting like horny teenagers even after being together for over three decades.

"Wotcher! I hope no one missed me!"

Harry watched in shock as Teddy Lupin suddenly appeared behind Hugo, who almost dropped the punch bowl he was carrying.

"Is everyone turning up today?" asked Harry weakly.

"Rose asked me to. She said she wanted a grand celebration before Scorpius left tomorrow", said the raven-haired man. Then adding a low tone, "Anyway, Uncle Ron, Al and Scorpius can stay at my place in France. I've already talked to Reno. By the way, Victoire would be here in a few minutes with Dora and Jacques."

Meanwhile, upstairs in her room, Rose eyed herself in the mirror. She wondered why she never wore dresses more frequently. The white dress with two thin straps hung magnificently to her curves. All thanks to Lily!

She pulled back her hair slightly with two hairpins and examined herself in the mirror. For the first time in her life, she felt she looked attractive. Very pleased with the results, she looked at her daughter sitting on her bed, wearing the miniature of her dress and looking absolutely adorable.

"I guess its time to surprise Daddy!" she murmured, as she ran a hand over Amelia's curls. The little girl grinned at her mother. Rose went downstairs with her daughter, to see hear loud noise of chatter.

"You look stunning!" exclaimed Roxanne, coming forward to hug her.

"You might want to reduce the volume of noise, Scorpius isn't that far away!" said Rose worriedly as she moved towards the backyard, where everything was being put in place. The sun was setting. The tables had been set. So had been the dance floor. Everyone was here.

"Rose the cake looks absolutely brilliant! I've already kept it in the fridge for it to cool down." exclaimed Astoria coming over to her, "WOW! The dress is-"

"Thank God!" said Rose in relief. "I know the dress is brilliant."

"Why do I have a feeling that you have dressed up for Scorpius?"

"Is there any other man I would dress up for?" asked Rose, blushing.

"Hey Rose!" called James panting hard, as he struggled to carry a box of fireworks. "Where do I keep them? Merlin they are heavy!"

"Just keep them somewhere away from fire, which means away from Barbeque stands!" said Rose tiredly, pointing at Hugo who was busy with the barbeque.

"Right- Hugo! Can I have a sausage?"

"Bugger off James!" came Hugo Weasley's cross voice as the sausages sizzled on the grill.

"Hey.."

Rose shook her head as she watched the cousins argue. She was startled as she felt two arms snake around her waist. She turned around in alarm and then her face broke into a wide smile.

"Teddy! You made it!" she cried, jumping into his arms.

"You asked me to. Plus I wouldn't miss Malfoy's twenty-sixth birthday. Remind me why it so special? What's so great about turning twenty six?"

Rose flapped her hands, "Where're Victoire and the kids?"

"Isn't the dress too revealing?" he asked eyeing her dress.

Rose swatted him on the arm. She was about to say something when a shout froze her.

"EVERYONE HIDE!"

Rose could just watch in surprise as all her relatives scampered to the corners. She couldn't understand what was going on. And then she saw the box of fireworks smoking next to the barbeque stand. She looked around for her wand.

_Brilliant. This just had to happen. And James Potter is so dead!_

_........................................................................................................_

"Oh this is won-der-ful!" said Albus lazily, as he lay on the grass, while Scorpius threw his fishing pole at the ground in exasperation.

"No it isn't! There are no bloody fish in here!?! Let's go back!"

Albus literarily sprung up from his position. "But we just came here!!"

"Al, we've been here for over three hours. And we have managed to catch nothing! The last muggle left an hour ago. So let's just go. The sun's setting anyway. Its time for Amelia's milk"

"Elora can do that! Don't worry, so how about another try, eh?"

Scorpius stared at him.

"Al, I am T-I-R-E-D. Please can we just go back?!" said Scorpius rubbing his eyes.  
"Fine! But wait for five minutes, let me try one last time. And I'll prove it to you that there are fish in the pond."

"OKAY! But get this; you take a second more than five minutes, I'll dunk your head in the pond"

Albus carefully walked over to the edge of the pond, and flung the hook onto the surface.

Two minutes had passed, when to Albus's surprise, he felt a tug.

"Scorpius! I think I caught one. WHOA! It's putting up resistance", said Albus excitedly, catching Scorpius' attention. Scorpius jumped to help him. They both started pulling the pole with all their strength.

"I hope you haven't caught a whale", said Scorpius, beads of sweat forming on his forehead, "Rose will kill you. She never stopped her fight to save whales and Dolphins"

"Of course not! Oh-What-DAMN- I think I'm losing-"

Rest of Albus's voice was drowned by a huge explosion. Scorpius turned his head to look in the direction of the explosion. Numbness flooded him as he saw a bright speck of fire instead of what he thought should have been his house.

"AMELIA!!!!" he roared, letting go of Albus, who promptly lost his balance and fell headfirst into the pond.

Forgetting the fact that he was a wizard, he ran towards his house at full speed, his heart threatening to burst out of his ribcage, and tears stinging his eyes.

How on earth did that happen?? He didn't have any explosive materials in his house. All the WWW products he had were in his office, mainly to keep them away from Amelia. He hoped against hope, hoping that his baby would be just fine.

He was just about hundred meters away from the house, when he stopped running and took in the scene before him that nearly blinded him. His house was fine only that it seemed to be covered with a sheath of fireworks, bursting into magnificent colours and patterns. Breathing hard, he stared at them dumfounded. What was going on?  
He heard the loudest burst of a cracker somewhere above him and looked up. A tiny rocket whizzed up in the sky, forming the words "_Happy Birthday, Scorpius_!" in a scripture he thought belonged to Rose.

The firework sheath around his house had disappeared, the place smelling of smoke and gunpowder. Heart thudding loudly against his rib cage and feeling very dizzy, he opened the door wondering what he would see on the other side.

"SURPRISE!!!!!!!!!!!"

He saw a huge crowd of people in his living room, all smiling at him. That's all he could manage to see before his world turned black.

.........................................................................................

**AN:- ****  
****And that's all folks! ****  
****And this is the 2nd last chapter I'm posting before the story goes on hiatus…I have my national-level exams in march…. ****  
****I hope to post the next chapter by next week.. ****  
****A little teaser from the next chapter:**

_Draco stared at him, "It doesn't make any sense. He allowed you to marry Rose after you told him the truth about yourself?"_

_Scorpius frowned, "What are you talking about?"_

"_I'm talking about you being gay with Ryan Smith!!"_

_Scorpius wondered if he was going to faint again. Or maybe just throw up. His father thought he was gay with Ryan Smith?? The Bloody son of a bitch Ryan Smith??_

**Until then..keep reading..n please REVIEW!!!!!!!!!!!!! **


	10. Happy Birthday, Scorpius

**I was kinda hoping that I would get the 100****th**** review with the previous chapter..but Damn!!**

**So close yet so far!**

**Anyway..thank you for your fantastic reviews!!!!**

**Disclaimer:- I'm neither British nor am I blonde. Hence I'm not JKR. The lyrics belong to the song, 'Moondance' by Michael Buble.**

**10. Happy birthday, Scorpius.**

"Do people generally faint when they are surprised?"

"It wasn't scary…was it?"

"Definitely not! It was pretty tame. I expected better James!"

"If only you weren't drenched to the bone, I would have surely knocked you out cold, squirt! It takes us ages to be able to create a new WWW product."

"James, you are grounded! You could have set their house on fire! Thank Merlin Harry was there to deviate all the firecrackers."

"Mum, do I need to remind you that I don't live with you anymore? You can't ground me anymore. Haha!"

"Fine then. No play station for you."

"Aww..Don't be so hard on me"

"Ssshhh..he's stirring!"

Scorpius blinked, trying to comprehend the growing noise around him. Blurred faces came into view as he opened his eyes.

"Wuzzgoinon?", he muttered, getting up and shaking his head. Why was his head feeling so heavy?

He blinked and looked around. He was in the living room on the couch, while a dozen people surrounded him. What were they all doing here? He could make out Albus in a blanket, Ginny, James, Harry, Hugo, Roxanne surrounding him. But he couldn't see the person he desperately wanted to see.

"Amelia!" he shouted startling everyone.

"Daddy?" came a small noise right next to him.

He looked down to see his daughter sitting on the carpet with a cap in her hand, looking up at him curiously, her little tongue out.

"Thank Merlin!", he said in relief, lifting her and hugging her tightly. His baby was just fine.

Everyone stared at him, unnerving him.

"So what are you guys doing here?", asked Scorpius curiously, now getting a clear view of everyone present.

"It's a surprise birthday party! I thought you would be smart enough to guess that!", said James indignantly, "Clearly you are spending too much time with Ally!"

"Surprise birthday party?", said Scorpius slowly.

"Yes genius!"

"Okay"

"Merlin's most baggy Y-fronts! Someone's meddled with his brain!", exclaimed Fred in mock horror,

"He is not reacting at all!"

"Just feeling a little numb," said Scorpius, annoyed, "I was fishing by the pond with Al. The next thing I see is that my house is on fire. I was terrified for Amy. I thought I had lost her."

He looked at his daughter, who was fiddling with his collar. He looked more closely at the cap. It was black in colour and had World's No. 1 dad embroidered on it. He smiled, as she placed it on his head.

"Well you haven't! You've turned twenty six! So let's celebrate!", said Albus joyously, pulling him up.

All the guests started moving towards the backyard, while Scorpius walked in confusion.

There was a surprise birthday party for him? Never in his life had he ever been thrown a party. Even the ones thrown by his parents always bordered on formal. Who would ever arrange a party for him?

"Who arranged this party?", asked Scorpius as his eyes raked over the dance floor, the dazzling lights, music blaring from the loud speakers.

"Rose of course"

_Rose!? I thought she was busy with Mungo's! _

"Really? All of it??" asked Scorpius curiously.

"Oh yeah! From beginning till the end", said Albus, shrugging off his blanket, "She had everything planned. And then this mission thing came up. So she had to draw all the plans all over again so as to make sure that you have NO idea about it! And not for the first time, she managed to execute her plans successfully"

"Rose took all that pain?? She'd said she was very busy. Or was she making that up?"

Albus frowned. "Not really. She was working overtime to make sure that she compensated for the amount of time she would spend at home, I think she's taking the day off tomorrow. And then there was the stress of arranging the party. I thought she was really testing her limits. I used to meet her during the day at Mungo's..she used to be so snappy!"

Scorpius's mind went back to yesterday evening and then he nodded. "Is she even here?", he asked, his eyes searching through the crowd.

"Of course! Did I tell you she made the Birthday cake?"

Scorpius blanched, "_She made the cake?_ Are you FRICKKIN' serious?? Who on earth allowed her to? She's a great cook and all but the woman can't bake a cake for peanuts!"

Albus smirked, "You are going to be the one having the first piece! Good luck with that. I'll make sure I take a picture of you eating it and send a copy of it to Daily Prophet"

"Why Daily Prophet?"

"Uh..Well once you die after eating it, they'll need a picture of you in your last happy moments. Life is small. Make it large!"

Cool breeze hit his face as he entered his backyard. He felt a smile creeping onto his face as he looked around. Harry and James were arm-wrestling on one of the tables, while Fred collected the money for the bets. Ron and Teddy seemed to be in a serious conversation. Hermione and Ginny talked to Victoire, while Jacques, Ed and Dora danced to the music.

They were all here for _him_.

"Scorpius!!"

Draco came hurriedly towards them, having a glass of wine in his hand.

"Albus! I need to talk to my son! So if-"

"Sure! No problem!"

Throwing Scorpius an uncertain look, Albus took Amelia from his arms and walked off to see the arm-wrestling competition.

"Can we talk somewhere more private?"

Scorpius raised an eyebrow, "Dad, what's wrong?"

Draco grabbed him by his arm and pulled him to a very dark corner of the backyard, and looked around to make sure no one was in their two metre radius.

"You're scaring me now, what's wrong?"

Draco took a deep breath and asked, "I know the truth."

"Uhh..What?"

"I know about you and Ryan"

Scorpius wondered if blood had stopped its flow in his body, because he could hear the thump of his heart very clearly. _His father knew_? How-who-what-when?!?!

"How?", asked Scorpius weakly, numbness and disbelief spreading around in his body.

Draco looked alarmed, "So it is true? How come you never told me?!"

Scorpius shrugged, "I didn't feel like. I just felt that the lesser the no. of people who knew about this, the better it was."

His father crossed his arms, "So who else knows about this?"

"Rose for obvious reasons, and Ron"

"WHAT?!? How come the Weasel got to know about this before I did?! What about Albus?! It's just not fair!! Why did you tell Ron??"

"Because he's Rose's Dad. He wouldn't have gone ahead with the marriage if I hadn't told him why I was marrying her."

Draco stared at him, "It doesn't make any sense. He allowed you to marry Rose after you told him the truth about yourself?"

Scorpius frowned, "What are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about you being gay with Ryan Smith!!"

Scorpius wondered if he was going to faint again. Or maybe just throw up. His father thought he was gay with Ryan Smith?? The Bloody son of a bitch Ryan Smith??

What on bloody earth gave his father such an idea?? That had to be the most revolting thing he had ever heard of.

"WHAT!?!", he cried, "What-what-What gave you that idea?"

"About few days back, Tor and I had gone to Mungo's to make our annual donation. She saw the Tornadoes there and asked for their Autograph for Amelia. The Ryan smith guy looked heartbroken when we told him that Amelia is your daughter-"

Scorpius's eyes grew wide, "He saw Amelia?! How could you let him?!"

_Things couldn't have gotten any worse, could it? _

Draco looked suspicious, "Why wasn't I supposed to? Am I missing out on something here, Scorpius?"

"No! It's just that he is a big git who hates the Weasleys and Potters and had sworn to make their lives hell in school. I just don't want him anywhere near my daughter", said Scorpius very quickly.

"But he looked devastated Scorpius! What was I supposed to gather from that?"

"I don't know. Maybe he is the one who's gay. But I'll let you know that I've NEVER EVER had any romantic feelings for him or any other man on this planet!"

Draco looked relieved, "And I had thought you had married Rose out of convenience. Haha. Glad to know you really are in love with her. And there has never been a day when I haven't felt blessed to have such a beautiful granddaughter. Are you planning to give me more grandchildren?"

Scorpius coughed, "We haven't thought about it yet."

Draco looked horrified, "Come on!! I want more of them to play with. You're the first Malfoy to have a daughter"-another cough-" Not to mention marry a Weasley. We Malfoys have a history of producing one kid only. So I thought maybe there might be more on the way. I'll let you know about some conceivable positions. They are pretty easy and it helps if the woman has an orgasm. One of them is so-"

"DAD!!", exclaimed Scorpius, pink in his cheeks, "Honestly! Can't you just..You know..SHUT UP!!"

Draco looked affronted, but before he could say anything, a loud shout interrupted them.

"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN!" shouted James standing atop a table, "TINY BOYS AND GIRLS. AND ALBUS"

Albus showed him the finger, earning him a reproving glare from his mother.

"Now if you can please move to the dance floor. I'm tired of seeing Ed tripping over his own feet again and again. And just because we're providing everything here for free, it DOES NOT mean that you would let it all go waste. So please grab your partners and jam on. Thank you!"

Scorpius saw most of the people getting up and moving towards the dance floor.

"HEY FERRET!!", called Ron, "Ten galleons say you cannot last a song on the dance floor!"

Draco glared at him, "We'll see Weasel Bee. Astoria!!"

Scorpius chuckled as he saw his father rushing around to find his mother. Merlin! He could never get tired of watching his father and his father-in-law bicker.

"Your Auror senses aren't working that well these days, are they?"

Scorpius whipped around to see a lone figure in the dark next to the hedges. Scorpius took his wand immediately, and whispered 'Lumos' to see Rose's smirking face.

He felt the air escape his lungs as his eyes went over her. In the past two days, his brain and hormones had seen more than they wanted to see of her (or not). With each view she looked absolutely delicious.

But today she was….divine. Could she have looked more beautiful? Her curls looked tamer, and had been pulled back slightly. His eyes went over her dress, which was identical to the one Amelia was wearing. The snug white dress she wore grazed her mid-thighs, fluttering slightly with the breeze. The light from his wand illuminated her face, making her skin shine like diamonds. Her eyes were twinkling, resembling sapphires more than ever.

"You look", he started hoarsely, trying to find words, "The dress is-uh-The party is wow! Thanks a lot!", and then he mentally smacked himself. What was wrong with him? Why was he so bloody tongue-tied? He had never been so nervous in front of a person of the opposite sex. He couldn't even find the guts to compliment his best friend (and the woman he was in love with). This dimwit was going on a secret mission. What was Ron Weasley thinking?

Scorpius wondered if he saw a flicker of disappointment on her face, but then he assumed that he had just imagined it.

"You are welcome," said Rose, smiling slightly.

"You managed all that on your own?"

"Oh yes! It was pretty much a lot of work!"

"You know what Rose? Sometimes you don't need to do everything on your own. Albus told me how the whole work thing started taking a toll on you. So please don't do it again."

Rose ignored his comment. "So how come you aren't dancing?"

"I couldn't find my partner. Now that I have, shall we?", he asked, extending a hand towards her.

Rose was glad that it was particularly dark in this corner and Scorpius couldn't see the blush arising in her cheeks as he held her hand tenderly and walked towards the dance floor.

Scorpius placed his hand on her waist and pulled her closer. Rose smiled, and rested her head on his shoulder as they swayed to the slow music.

"Is it just me or are you actually looking taller?", he teased.

He pulled apart, looked down and promptly snorted, "You're wearing heels!!"

Rose gave him a friendly poke making him chuckle. "Shut up!", she said softly.

He gave her a lopsided grin, making her heart beat a thousand times faster. When he didn't comment on her attire, something she had put in a lot of effort for the first time, she was hurt and annoyed at him. But it was moments like these, when he held her so close to himself, holding her like he wouldn't let any harm come to her that made her believe that she could never be mad at him.

"By the way, you look absolutely stunning tonight," he whispered softly in her ear. While Scorpius cheered inwardly at his successful attempt to compliment her, Rose trembled as his seductive voice made her nerves in her body crackle.

"Thank you", she said, looking up at him through her eyelashes.

"Thank you for letting me know that I've married a female."

Scorpius ducked to avoid an incoming slap. _Way to go Romeo! You and your bloody mouth!_

"What? I never thought you could dress up. You know you've never dressed up before", said Scorpius defending himself as he observed the indignant look on Rose's face. And then with a smile, he pulled her closer, "And I must say, I like what I see"

To his pleasant surprise, Rose turned pink.

"Just to inform you the next one's s muggle song," announced Fred, "It's sort of jazz. So people who are dancing around the ones who love to dance exuberantly, watch out!"

"Is he talking about us?", asked Scorpius, a small frown on his face, as the music started.

"I don't think so. Even if he is, want to show him some real moves?" asked Rose, smirking.

_It's a marvellous night for a moon dance_

_With the stars up above in your eyes._

_A fantabulous night to make romance _

'_neath the cover of October skies_.

"Hermione! That's our song!" exclaimed Ron as he twirled his wife, who giggled.

"Their song?" asked Scorpius puzzled.

"Yeah! They had this song played at their wedding, for their first dance as husband and wife.", said Rose, jealous of the incredible love her parents shared. Having Ron and Hermione as her parents had made her set a benchmark for the wonderful relationship she wanted with her husband. She was close to Scorpius, very close to him, but they weren't there yet. At least he wasn't. She sighed.

"Hey what happened to showing them the real moves?" asked Scorpius, raising his eyebrows.

"All right!", said Rose, forgetting her moment of sadness as she let him take the lead.

_And all the leaves and trees are falling_

_To the sound of the breezes that blow_

_And I'm trying to please do the calling_

_Of your heart strings that play soft and low._

Scorpius twirled her, and pulled her towards him so quickly that Rose almost lost her balance.

"Can't handle my moves, huh? Too much for you?", asked Scorpius, his eyes twinkling, a smirk growing on his face.

Rose looked up at him, annoyed at his cockiness. He winked at her. _Well two can play the game._

_And all the night's magic seems to whisper and hush._

_And all the soft moonlight seems to shine in your blush_

_Can I just have one more moon dance with you my love_

_Can I make some more romance with you, my love._

As soon as Scorpius rolled her in, she looped her arm around his neck, and lifted her leg which she gently placed behind his legs. Scorpius gasped as her body rubbed against his, making all the blood rush south.

Rose wiggled her eyebrows at him, silently asking 'who's the boss now?'.

"You really think you can win this?" asked Scorpius, challenging her.

"This should be a piece of cake. Bring it on Malfoy!"

The tune changed and the beats became faster, encouraging the couple to raise the level of their competition.

Every time Scorpius tried a new step, she always countered it. She rubbed her body sensuously against his. He ran his hand over her bare back. They forgot about the other guests who were watching the two of them in a mix of awe due to their coordinated dancing ('They are so made for each other', said Elora, bursting into tears) and embarrassment ('What on earth is Rose wearing?', asked a horrified Ron)

"Not bad, Mrs. Malfoy. Not bad at all", said Scorpius dipping Rose, who just laughed, throwing her head backwards.

Rose slowly stood straighter, and found her nose almost touching Scorpius's. His eyes bore into hers as he pushed back few strands of her hair. Scorpius could feel Rose's breath on his lips. He gently tilted her face, and gave a kiss just a few tantalizing millimetres from her lips.

_That should leave her asking for more._

It did. But he wasn't aware of her next action.

She then tilted her face such that their lips brushed lightly. The desire and the want to snog her rose alarmingly in him, as he saw her smirk in a sexy way.

He brought her closer to him, such that every part of her body touched his.

_To hell with what she wants, I want to kiss her, and I will. She can't even push me off, seeing that all her relatives are here, and we are supposed to act very couple-ish._

He had just dipped his head further when the Great Prat opened his mouth, and not for the first time, at a time when he so wanted to snog the life out of her.

"It's time for the CAKE!!!!"

Rose and Scorpius swore almost instantly as they pulled apart. They both looked at each other

"So I heard you baked the cake. Please tell me it isn't true." said Scorpius in a strangled voice.

Rose scowled, "Isn't there anyone in the world who believes that for once I won't screw up the cake? Honestly!! People can be so judgemental!"

"Come on. Hurry up!" called James, sniggering, "I want to see Scorpius choking to death on his birthday!"

"Oi Potter!", shouted an irked Rose, "You won't get a piece of it, you know that!"

"Believe me! I couldn't have been more relieved!"

Scorpius watched as Ron levitated a large cake towards one of the large tables, where it landed gently. Everyone started moving towards the table. Scorpius's eyes widened as he took in the sight of the cake. The round chocolate cake with vanilla flakes looked magnificent. But then, he knew looks could be deceiving.

With a wave of a wand, Harry lit all the candles. James, Albus, Hugo watched in glee as Scorpius was handed a knife. Everyone started singing as he blew out the candles and cut the cake. A smiling Rose immediately took out a slice and turned towards him.

Her smile faltered as she saw Scorpius took two steps backwards, making everyone laugh. She lowered her hand, feeling humiliated and tears stinging her eyes. What was she thinking, baking a birthday cake for him? She could have just ordered it, or asked her dad to make one.

Scorpius felt his heart go out to her as he saw her shoulders slump. She was blinking rather rapidly, which meant waterworks were on the way. He gently took her hand and asked her, "So aren't you going to feed me the cake?"

Rose bit her lip, "I didn't think you'd want to even taste it."

"Tasting won't hurt, would it?" he asked softly.

She gave him a small smile and fed him the piece, as everyone looked on curiously. Scorpius felt his eyes widen, as the frozen chocolate melted in his mouth instantly, warming him and creating the most pleasant sensation in his body. It tasted like the cake his mum made for him, yet it felt so different. It was perhaps the most delicious cake he's ever had.

"I'll have another piece of that!", he said grinning.

……………………………………………………………………………………….

Music continued blaring from the speakers as everyone started having their dinner. Trying to be the perfect host, Rose went around making sure everyone had their fill.

"Oh Rosie!" exclaimed Roxanne, beckoning her, "The cake was fantastic!! Sorry I was so doubtful!"

Rose grinned, "Well at least you didn't provoke me enough to make sure that I don't give you a piece of it to you"

Both women turned to look at James who was sitting on one of the chairs, brooding and shooting Albus and Hugo dirty looks, who were busy praising the cake loudly.

"It's so delicious; it melts like butter in your mouth. I actually think its softer.", said Albus grinning so widely as if there was no tomorrow, "What do you say Hugo?"

"How can I disagree with the green-eyed Potter?" aid Hugo, smirking "Tch Tch James. You really have no idea how much your stupid mouth cost you. It's like a huge chunk of heaven in your mouth. Really."

"The squirt and the dirt can shut up", said James, scowling.

Little Dora was passing him with a plate containing a large slice of the cake. James looked at her hopefully.

"Hey Dora! You are looking really pretty tonight. Why don't you give your favourite uncle a bite of the lovely cake you are carrying?", he asked hopefully, putting on the brightest, friendliest smile on his face.

"But Uncle Louis isn't here", said Dora, confused, "I'll ask maman if I could send it to him."

Albus and Hugo burst into mad laughter as Dora walked off and James gritted his teeth.

Roxanne and Rose giggled.

"Hey Rose!"

Rose turned around to see Lysander Scamander smiling at her.

"Hey! I hope you are enjoying the party."

"It's fantastic! Can I talk to you? In private?"

"Sure! Excuse me…"

Rose quietly followed Lysander into the house. On the way Rose halted to see the endearing sight of Scorpius holding her-no-their daughter, bouncing her on his lap, making the little girl laugh. No matter how many times she saw it, the act always made a tug at her heart and made her feel the

luckiest woman on the planet. She joined Lysander in the kitchen, who was already seated at the bar and was busy staring the floor.

"So what's up?" asked Rose, sitting on one of the stools next to the kitchen bar, "Hey, are you all right?", she added concernedly, as she noticed the pensive expression on his face.

"Can't believe I'm doing this", muttered Lysander.

"Doing what?", asked Rose confused.

"Rose, he knows."

"Uh…Sorry?"

"Ryan knows. He knows Amelia is his kid."

Rose was glad that she was sitting, because she was sure if she had been standing she would have fainted. Lysander knew about this? How did Ryan come to know about it? The only people who knew the whole story were her and Scorpius.

_Wait a minute_, she didn't even recall telling Ryan she had a kid.

"How?", she asked hoarsely.

Lysander's eyes grew wide, "He figured it out. He saw Amelia at Mungo's over a week back with her paternal grandparents-" Rose's heart rate increased, Ryan had already seen her baby, "And then he just clued in when he asked me a few questions pertaining you and the baby."

"_Oh my god_!", whispered Rose, horrified. This couldn't be happening. Just when her life seemed to move towards stabilization after Ryan's return, this just had to happen to ruin it all!

Lysander scratched his head. There was a roar of cheer outside that startled the both of them.

"Rose," he began awkwardly, "I'm not someone to judge or anything. But how on earth did you guys hide your relationship? I mean it's pretty difficult, hiding a relationship if you are a Weasley or a Potter."

Rose's eyes narrowed into slits, "Well, I learnt it from the master himself. Since he was so able to hide his relationship with Patricia."

Lysander winced, "If I had known about you two, I would have warned you about Patricia. He might be one of my best-friends, but so are you." He smiled, taking her hand, "But please keep an eye out for him."

"What do you mean?", asked Rose, raising her eyebrows.

"He came to England, just for you"-Rose snorted-"He just wants a reason to get you back. The child is his trump card. He will go to any lengths to get his child. I saw a glimpse of happiness on his face when he realised that he had a daughter, that he had a family that he had always wanted. And I also know it is the first time he sincerely fell for someone. So do you think he'll hold himself back? No. So please watch out. I don't know how you and Scorpius managed to work things out. Just talk to him and let him know Ryan knows. Alright?"

Rose nodded mutely, trying to digest the news.

"Uh and by the way…Do you love Scorpius?", asked Lysander embarrassed.

"He's the only man I've ever loved," said Rose tenderly, "The thing with Ryan was just a fling and nothing more. That's what I realised after Scorpius and I got married."

Lysander grinned, "That's why I had major issues with accepting Ryan's story. I could so totally see that you loved Scorpius"

Rose returned his smile, "We better get back to the party. Amy can throw quite a tantrum when her mamma is not around for more than five minutes."

Lysander hugged her and whispered, "Fight to save this family from disintegrating, Rose. Don't give in."

"Like I would listen to the loser of a git! Come on. Lets go!"

As the two friends left the kitchen, someone moved out of the shadows, brown eyes wide in shock.

………………………………………………

**AN:-**

**So someone's found out about Rose and Scorpius's situation ..Hmm..any guesses who?**

**There's another chapter that would be up before hiatus…I had originally written a very long chapter(12000+) for Scorpius's birthday which made the editing a right pain in the ass, so now it's become 3 different chapters… you've already seen two of them.**

**A sneak preview from the next one:-**

_"Why don't you admit that you are a sore loser?", asked Ron smugly, crossing his arms, "I've already told you; Weasleys will always be above Malfoys in the end!"_

_"Oh no! I can give you one good example when Malfoys are above Weasleys!!"_

_"Oh yeah?! Which one?", asked Ron, his ears getting red, a sign of danger. With a small groan, Scorpius felt for his wand, getting ready to whip it out just in case the two men started fighting. Which was pretty much possible since he knew what was about to come up next. Money, dignity, blah blah._

_Draco suddenly smirked, "Scorpius and Rose, of course. Scorpius is usually above Rose."_

_Now that he did not expect!_

**Until then please review and make my day!!:-)**


	11. To Be Or Not To Be, On Top

**Your reviews are getting better and brighter…N I feel terribly guilty as I don't have time to reply to all of them…but I will try n reply to all the reviews posted on this chapter..!**

**I was originally planning to post this by the end of march...but you guys have given me over a 100 reviews (a celebratory jig here please)...so here is chapter 11....**

**Disclaimer: I may own a mobile, a purse and car, but I'm not JKR. (There's a reason why I don't write poems. I can rhyme..but d poem doesn't make sense in the end)**

………………………………………………

**11. To Be (Or Not To Be) On Top**

Lysander and Rose entered the backyard to see Harry, Ron and Draco guzzling down mugs of Firewhisky, one after the other, while the rest cheered on.

"What's going on?" Rose asked her mother, raising her eyebrows as she took in the scene.

"The men are having a little war here," said Hermione in disapproval, "Trying to see who stays the most sober after having seven mugs of firewhisky. It's just so pointless. I wish I could force Ron to sleep in the living room tonight, but he's leaving tomorrow" She sighed.

Rose's eyes flickered to her husband, who was busy cheering his father.

"So the party was finally a success."

Rose nodded, "I thought it would be a disaster when James accidentally set the fireworks off. Thankfully, Lorcan had spotted Scorpius standing outside. Or else he would have walked into total pandemonium."

"ALL RIGHT!!" roared Ron Weasley, raising his arms in triumph, "I'M DONE!"

"And so AM I!", said Draco, wiping his mouth with his sleeve.

"DAD! HURRY UP!", screamed James excitedly, as Harry struggled to finish his last mug. He, however suddenly stopped, his eyes becoming wider.

"What's wrong with you? Uncle Ron and Draco have already finished!! Half a mug more! That's it!"

Harry shot up from his chair and bolted off into the house. James and Albus looked disappointed.

"This man embarrasses me! He lost to Ron and Malfoy!" said Ginny indignantly, hiding her face in her hands, while Elora patted her back, who was trying to hide a smile herself.

"Well, there goes the boy who lived," Fred announced loudly, "But things are heating up between the arch rivals, all ready to take on each other. On one side, we have a war hero, an Auror extraordinaire. Put your hands together for Ronald Bilius Weasleeeey!!"

Ron did a mock bow, and waved his hands in the air, as the guests laughed and cheered him on.

"On the other side, we have a dashing millionaire, who can make a teenage girl blush with his trademark smirk. Give it up for Draco Lucius Malfoy!"

Draco smirked and started throwing flying kisses making the girls (or women) sigh. Scorpius wolf-whistled, making everyone laugh.

"Hey!" Ron slurred indignantly, "How come he gets to be the dashing one? He's half BALD."

"I don't have spattergoit, Weasel-bee.", said Draco cockily, "let's get on with the competition."

"I'm back!" exclaimed a slightly tipsy Harry, entering the scene.

"You are out of the game, mister. The rule was to take in all the drinks at one go", said Ginny, glaring at him.

Harry's face fell, making him look like a lost puppy instead of the fifty-two year male he was. "I just went to empty my bladder. A normal human-being would want to pee after having around two litres of liquid", he whined, "I'll get back at all of you, you'll see."

"You can umpire the game though, making sure no one cheats." said an unsure Fred, scratching his head.

"Okay!" exclaimed Harry brightly.

Fred took out his wand, and waved it at the ground. A half a foot wide white strip appeared which ran from the door to the backyard till the end of the backyard, roughly fifty meters in length.

"Whoever manages to walk on the line from the beginning till the end, without stepping out even once, and does it all in the minimum amount of time, wins! And whoever steps out of line, has to start from beginning."

"Weasley, you are welcome to back out. Seeing that you are one of the clumsiest people around", sneered Draco.

Ron wagged a finger at him, "We'll see Malfoy. You should never underestimate a Weasley's capabilities!"

"Gentlemen! If you could please proceed to the starting line, the gate of the backyard. Uncle Harry, if you could move to the centre-No a little bit further…there!"

"Ladies first!", said Ron cockily on reaching the starting line, bowing down to Draco, inciting a scowl from him.

"Watch and learn!", said the senior Malfoy arrogantly.

"NOW!!" roared Fred.

He started walking on the line, trying to balance himself as the world around him swayed. He shook his head hard, trying to make it feel lighter.

Ron was chanting, "Fall fall, ferret!" Astoria was screaming passionately, "Come on, Dragon!!! Whip it out!!", inciting chuckles from people standing with them, while Scorpius, who was standing next to his mum, turned red.

Draco was close to falling off from his path many times, as the effects of the drink started to kick in strongly. He threw his arms up in triumph as soon as he reached the end of the path.

"AHA! WHO'S THE KING, BABY??" he roared, pointing at Ron who was glaring at him.

Scorpius stared at his father. Since when did he use _baby _in a sentence unless addressing his mum?

Both his parents were hell-bent on embarrassing the life out of him tonight.

"My turn!" exclaimed Ron.

As soon as Fred nodded, he cautiously stepped on the line and started moving really fast, giving him a head rush. He suddenly stopped, staring at his path in horror.

"Harry!! Harry!!" he called

"What?!!", asked Harry swaying, his eyebrows furrowing in confusion.

"The path is moving zigzag so rapidly. Actually the whole world is revolving. I won't be able to reach the finish line. TRY AND HOLD IT STILL!!"

"I'm trying!", he cried, crouching on fours. Sticking his tongue out and face screwed up in intense concentration, he placed his hands on the either side of the absolutely still strip, so that Ron could walk freely.

Meanwhile the spectators were busy cracking up in laughter because of their antics.

"HAHA! I wish I had a video camera to record all this!" said Chris Thomas, eyes brimming with tears of mirth, "The top two Aurors of the ministry have lost it tonight!"

Ron jumped over Harry, and finished his walk. He looked expectantly at Fred, who was trying to subdue his laughter.

"So who won?" asked Teddy thoroughly amused by the event.

"Weasley is the king. He won it by a fraction of a second!"

The rest cheered as Ron did a victory jig. Draco looked sour and shouted, "It's a conspiracy!!"

"Why don't you admit that you are a sore loser?", asked Ron smugly, crossing his arms, "I've already told you; Weasleys will always be above Malfoys in the end!"

"Oh no! I can give you one good example when Malfoys are above Weasleys!!"

"Oh yeah?! Which one?", asked Ron, his ears getting red, a sign of danger.

With a small groan, Scorpius felt for his wand, getting ready to whip it out just in case it was necessary. Which was pretty much possible since he knew what was about to come up next. Money, dignity, blah blah.

Draco suddenly smirked, "Scorpius and Rose, of course. Scorpius is _usually_ _above_ Rose."

Now _that_ he did not expect!

The males all snorted, the females giggled.

Rose hid her face in her hands to hide the furious blush covering her face, whereas Scorpius stared at his father in horror, his face flushing. What was with his father tonight?

He turned to look at Ron, who had the look of being clubbed over the head.

The red head however seemed to gather himself, and then shouted triumphantly.

"Rosie prefers to excel at everything, to be at the top of everything. So I don't see why should this be an exception?!"

James was in stitches, and was now rolling on the ground. Fred looked close to peeing in his trousers. Hugo was torn between disgust and amusement. Albus had his fist in his mouth. Astoria, who was horrified at her husband because of his statement and was getting ready to ambush him, was now staring at Ron as if he'd grown an extra head. Hermione looked ready to kill both of them.

Rose gave out a little moan and Scorpius felt like killing himself with his wand. Or maybe silence his father first, since he was about to say something else. The firewhisky had really loosened his tongue.

"What makes you so sure about Rose's preferences?" asked Draco, crossing his arms and almost losing his balance.

"If she's anything like her mother, which I know she very much is, then you would know what I'm talking about!!" said Ron, smirking in a _very _pleased way.

Rose had her fingers in her ears, looking more mortified than ever.

That was it. A furiously blushing Scorpius took out his wand and got ready to aim at the two drunken elders. Before he could do anything, his mother-in-law stepped in.

"RON!!!", screamed Hermione, affronted, "You do realise that you are talking about our daughter, not to forget me!!"

"But Mione I don't want him to win the argument-"

Hermione narrowed her eyes, "You are a disgusting pig! Actually, both of you are! Shame on the two of you, using your kids in the most demeaning way to win your arguments!! AND RONALD BILIUS WEASLEY" she drew herself to her full height, the tone of her voice making him flinch, "DO YOU HAVE NO SHAME?! Is it so easy for you to discuss our private moments with strangers?"

Astoria came forward and to everyone's surprise and amusement, pulled Draco's ear, making him shout in pain.

"You are coming home with me, laddie!" she said furiously as Draco continued wincing, "With your hair, I guess your sense of dignity is disappearing as well!"

"I'm drunk. We are two drunk middle-aged men," slurred Ron in defence, crossing his arms over his chest, "We have no idea about what we are talking about! What exactly did we say anyway?"

"I don't usually agree with the Weasel. But here, I just have to", said Draco, trying to get loose, "Tor, Let me go! It really hurts," He smiled hopefully at his wife, who sighed, and let go of his ear.

"See!" screamed Ron, pointing at the Malfoys and then looking at Hermione, "Astoria is fine with it. So why don't you forget it?!"

Hermione glared at him, "I don't care!! You are going to sleep on the couch tonight!"

"Mione!", whined Ron, "You can't do this to me!"

"I can and I will!"

Hermione turned to Rose and Scorpius, "Thank you so much for having me here, dears. But I better get back with the Weasel. It's almost eleven anyway." Hugging both of them, and pecking her now-asleep granddaughter, she violently pulled Ron by his arm, and walked off inside to floo to the Den.

"We better get going as well," said Astoria stiffly, shooting her husband death glares.

"Yeah!" said Draco, swaying as he tried to stand straight, "Thanks for calling! It has been a pleasure. And by the way Rose, do you really prefer being on top? It's not really the best way to -"

"ENOUGH!!!", screamed Astoria, making him flinch, "You-home-NOW!"

She turned to the rest, and smiled, "It has been a lovely evening! Thank you all! And thank you Rose, for arranging all of it!"

Rose just nodded. She was incapable of speaking.

Soon everyone was saying their goodbyes. James, Fred and Hugo were packing up. Everyone was thanking Rose for the wonderful party ('It was BRILLIANT!", said James with a huge grin, "Have you seen Lily by the way? Or do you have any idea when she left?") and wished Scorpius for the last time before they left.

"Oh sweet Merlin!", said Scorpius, collapsing in the living room after everyone had left. It had been one hell of a birthday. And a long one. But that didn't mean he didn't enjoy it. He absolutely loved the surprise, and the events that followed afterwards, even though he was embarrassed by his parents.

All of it was a large blur. Save one moment; when he yet again missed the chance to snog his wife.

"I've put Amelia to bed," came Rose's voice. He turned around to see her cleaning up the remains of the mess created by the party in the house. He got up to help her.

"Hey" he said softly, joining her at the bar, "The surprise was amazing. Thanks!"

"You needn't mention it-Hey can you please keep these mugs in the upper shelves", asked Rose, pointing at a dozen recently cleaned mugs.

"Why did we use our crockery for the party? Did we really have those many?", asked Scorpius, examining the mugs, as he kept them up one by one.

"We just used half of it. Most were our wedding presents and the rest were from house-warming", she said, as she moved to close the door to the backyard, "It's better to use them once rather than never."

"So what were you and Lysander talking about?" asked Scorpius, sitting back again.

"You noticed?" asked Rose, flushing, who was secretly thrilled that he had noticed her absence even if it was for a mere ten minutes.

"Yeah. I think the topic was pretty serious, seeing that he had to drag you inside to talk to you about it. So what was it?"

Rose's euphoria disappeared instantly as she remembered her conversation with Lysander. Ryan knew. Ryan knew the truth about Amelia.

Taking a deep breath, she sat down on one of the bar stools and looked at Scorpius.

"You do remember Ryan and Lysander are good friends, right?"

Scorpius nodded, a frown appearing on his face. He felt all the happiness zapped out of him as soon as he heard _his_ name.

"Lysander just wanted to inform me-or rather warn me that….Ryan knows about Amelia."

"So he knows that she exists? Dad told me about it."

"Really??", asked Rose confused.

"Yeah. Dad said Ryan had seen Amelia at Mungo's with them about a few days back. And he had looked upset when he found out that she was our daughter"-Rose lowered her eyes-"Dad thought he looked upset because he was gay with me"

Rose's eyes snapped up to meet his, disbelief written over her face.

"Are you serious?" she asked, a smile breaking on her face, "How does that work out?"

"I have no idea! That had to be the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard," said Scorpius, running a hand through his hair, "Not to mention most disturbing. At least Dad didn't realise that we are hiding something"

Rose's smile slipped. Taking a deep breath, she said, "But Ryan did. He knows Amelia is his child. That's what Lysander told me."

Scorpius stared at her. "How on earth is that even possible? Wait-Lysander knows as well?"

"As I said, Ryan figured it out. He asked Lysander some questions about me and Amelia. He has a very sharp and agile mind. He was a Ravenclaw for a reason."

Scorpius snorted, "So that dunderhead figured it out. So what?"

Rose narrowed her eyes, "SO WHAT?! The guy might try and release all that info to the press. I don't really give a damn about my image now. But what about Amelia? Do you have just any idea about what she might have to go through? What if he tries to get her custody?" she asked fearfully.

"He'll have a hard time proving it. So we'll see then if it happens. Haven't I told you before that you worry too much?"

"Scorpius, he's an International level Quidditch player!", said Rose worriedly, biting her lip, "He can get the whole world to swing in his favour. I have to talk to him before any damage is done."

Scorpius bolted up from his seat "You are not going anywhere close to him," he growled.

"He won't kill me, Scorp! I have to talk to him before he takes any extreme steps. Please try and understand-", pleaded Rose.

"What makes you think he'll listen to you?" asked Scorpius incredulously, "He just wants you back in his life. He won't listen even if you beg to him. He'll use Amelia as a medium to get to you. And soon you'll be all ready to get back together with him-"

"You've gone mental!" said Rose, getting frustrated, "You know I won't do that!"

_Yeah Right! _"I haven't gone mental, Rose. If he tries to do something I'll take care of him."

Rose looked at him in exasperation. "Why don't you guys believe in the power of talking? Why do you always have to switch to brute strength? It's not the solution to everything!!"

"Whatever! I'm leaving tomorrow night! You are not going to talk to him. That's the end of our discussion."

"But-"

"No Buts"

"Why are you being such a jerk?!!" shrieked Rose, getting up from her seat as well, "You were never like this before! What happened to you? Why are you being so rigid?"

_Because I'm in love with you and I'm scared of losing you. _

Those were the words that were waiting to roll off his tongue. But he somehow managed to keep it in, yet again.

"HEY!," said Scorpius, his anger getting the better of him, "You're the one who has changed, Rose! Two years back you weren't even bothered about going back to him. But now that he's back in the scene, you just can't wait till you get back together with him!! Merlin, Woman! FIRST LOOK AT YOURSELF BEFORE POINTING FINGERS AT ME!!"

Rose looked at him, rage shaking her body. She took a deep breath and said, "If you continue acting like such an arse, BELIEVE ME! I WOULD GO BACK TO HIM!!"

Scorpius took a sudden step back, looking as if she had slapped him.

Did she actually say that she would like to go back to Ryan? Did she actually want to destroy the perfect world they had created with Amelia?

"Fine!" he spat, getting the urge to break everything around him, "That way Amelia loses a father. Isn't that why you married me in the first place?"

There was a moment's silence.

"I wanted a family", said Rose determinedly, her eyes stinging.

"And haven't I given you that?", asked Scorpius, his voice cracking, "Ever since we became friends, I have given you everything you ever wanted. I even put my bloody love life on hold and I married you because you needed someone to be there with you. You wanted a name for the baby, I gave her my name. Haven't I given you a family Rose? Everything you've ever wanted? HAVEN'T I?"

Unable to look at the hurt on her face, he spun on his heel, and walked off angrily towards his room. How was she able to make his insides churn due to happiness one second, and anger the next second? Even worse than shouting at her, was seeing those tears in her eyes and knowing that it was because of him. It was because of her that the whole argument had started. It was obvious that she should not go and meet Ryan. The git was just waiting for a day like that when she would come to him. She should have realised that by now. But no! When the woman really needs to apply her brains, she absolutely doesn't!

And when the whole thing was really her fault, he was the one feeling more awful about it.

He entered his dimly lit bedroom and shut the door with a huge bang. He sat on his bed, clutching his head. His marriage looked so vulnerable now. And it was all because of that bastard. He and Rose were arguing MUCH more than usual, and more violently so, there were too many awkward silences in the house, and every morning he woke up hoping that Rose was still here with him instead of being in Ryan's arms.

He groaned as he felt his head split into two. He decided that a cold shower would suffice and make him calm down. He carefully took off the cap his daughter had given him and kept it on the bedside table. In one swipe, he took off his shirt and t-shirt and flung it carelessly on one of the chairs or tables, he presumed. Just then his door banged open. He turned around to see Rose standing at the doorway. Scorpius raised his eyebrows, as she came closer.

"Yes, you have." She said, looking up at him, her eyes blazing.

Scorpius had barely registered her words when she pulled his head down, his lips crashing against hers.

_HOLY FUCK! (Uh, sorry Rose!)_

All the worries in his mind disappeared instantly, as her soft lips moved on his. His arms automatically wound around her waist, pulling her closer. She wrapped her arms around his neck, and lifted herself, wrapping her legs around his waist, and crushing her chest against his. Unable to handle the sudden weight on him, Scorpius fell backwards onto the bed along with her, their lips still touching. He pulled her face closer to his, allowing himself a better access to her mouth. He gently licked her mouth, making her tremble as she slowly opened hers. Her hands moved up his bare chest, her fingers massaging it lightly. He slowly flipped her over, so that she was the one with her back on the bed. He lifted himself slightly, trying to make sure he didn't crush her. He ran his hand over the entire length of her leg slowly, making her moan into his mouth.

He detached his lips from her mouth, and started placing kisses on her neck. She arched her back against him, locking her fingers in his hair as his lips grazed her neck. She gave a moan as he sucked on a sensitive spot between her shoulder blades, making him increase his ministration on that particular spot. That had to be the sexiest little thing he had ever heard.

She pulled his head back up to hers, giving him a kiss that sent a tremor down his body. His nerves exploded as Rose hooked one arm behind his neck, pulling him closer and the other one made patterns on his chest. She gently bit his lower lip, making him open his mouth. Their tongues twisted and rolled against each other, fighting a battle of dominance. His hands were travelling up her torso, up her stomach, and then against her breasts. They felt so good against his hands. He was hard, and he needed her so badly. His blood was pounding in his head, he could only stars twinkling in front of his eyes.

_Well, I wanna make love to you tonight_

_I can't wait till the morning has come_

_And I know that the time is just right._

_And straight into my arms you'll run  
_

His hands went to her neck and undid the knot of her dress. Now kissing her jaw, he started pushing the dress down her shoulders. Rose suddenly tensed when his cold fingers scraped her bare stomach while pulling her dress down, bringing him back to reality. What on earth was he doing?

He buried his head in the crook of her neck, trying to steady his breath.

He pulled himself up slightly, panting hard, and almost gasped in wonder.

The woman looked like a goddess.

Her auburn hair was fanned out, and lips were swollen because of all the snogging. The moonlight streaming through the windows gave a beautiful glow to her skin. He noticed that the skin around her neck looked flushed. She was breathing hard, her chest going up and down rapidly. Her breasts were almost popping out of the strapless black bra she was wearing. He now looked at her eyes, desperately trying to ignore the tightening in his pants. Her eyes had never looked so stormy before. He could see desire and lust swimming in her eyes. He could feel she needed him as well. She had responded to his touches. But he wanted to hear her say it. Did she really want it? Did she want him as well?

"Do you want me to stop?" he asked, his voice cracking, as he looked into those stormy blue eyes once again.

She however just stared back at him.

"Say it Rose. I'll stop if you want. I'll do whatever you ask me to do. Do you want me to stop?" he pleaded, mentally begging her to say no. He hated how weak and desperate he sounded, but he just had to know.

She said nothing, instead continued staring at him, her lips slightly apart.

Feeling dejected, he slowly sat up and stared at the floor, his face turning red. He was _so close_ to getting her. He got up from the bed and started moving towards the bathroom.

"Where are you going?" came Rose's timid voice startling him.

"I was just going to take a shower," he said tiredly, without turning to look at her. He needed a very long, very cold shower tonight, to make him forget about the moment.

"Would you mind if I joined you?"

Scorpius froze. Did she just say what he thought she had said? He turned around to look at her, making sure she did really say it. His stomach took a double-take as he saw Rose standing right in front of him, only in her undergarments, her dress lying on the floor. His eyes took in every bit of what he could see of her.

She raised herself to kiss him softly on his lips, locking her arms behind his neck. He growled into her mouth and lifted her in his arms, while she wrapped her legs around his waist. The skin on his torso burned as her bare skin came in contact with his. He backed her up against the bathroom wall, placing hot open-mouthed kisses on her throat, making her gasp and moan at one go.

She pulled him up by his hair, crushing his mouth against his, making her toes curl. Every flick of his tongue in her mouth was sending down jolts of electricity in her body. She was already seeing stars. Her heart was thudding so violently that she feared it'd break her ribcage. She could thank him for holding her, for she was sure she wouldn't have been able to stand with the way he was kissing her. Or even the way he was touching her, as she felt his thumbs moving in circular motion on her hips, making jolts of electricity shooting into her body. She pulled back for a second to get that required bit of air for breathing. She looked into his eyes, her eyes twinkling.

"I think you should know this. My dad was right. I prefer being on top."

Scorpius stared at her, fireworks exploding in his stomach.

Was she trying to kill him? If she was, then hell, he was ready to die a thousand times.

_And when you come, my heart will be waiting_

_To make sure that you're never alone._

_There and then, my dreams will come true dear_

_There and then, I'll make you my own.  
_

_Every time I touch you, you just tremble inside. _

_And I know how much you want me, that you can't hide,_

_Can I just have one more moon dance with you, my love._

_Can I make some more romance with you, my love._

* * *

**AN:-**

**Looks like Scorpius and Rose are up for a long night!;-)**

**Any guesses for the next chapter?? Will Scorpius and Rose finally talk to each other about their feelings? And what is Ryan up to? And what about the mysterious person who now knows about Rose's little secret? Please tell me you've figured out who the person is!**

**I have left a hint in this chapter, so those who have read carefully would know!**

**I think this will hold you guys for sometime till the next one comes up!**

**I hope you've enjoyed the story till now as much as I've enjoyed writing it!**

**Even so, if you've liked the story the tiniest bit, and do want me to continue…please leave a review behind!**

**It would really make the time spent on writing the story worth it!**

**And if I'm nice enough…and (if I have time)…the reviewers will get a reply from me….not to mention a sneak peak from the next chapter..which is currently under 'construction'…**

**The lyrics belong to the song, Moondance by Michael Buble!**

**And thank you all for reading this absurdly long AN**

**: D**

**Until next time…**

**Weasleykingrocks! =)**


	12. The Morning After

**And I'm back! I hope you are still interested in the story.**

**It's official. I'm losing my marbles. This chapter just proves it.**

**Extremely sorry for the delay by the way. I'm blaming it on the loss of marbles…**

**Disclaimer:**** JKR owns everything recognisable. No copyright infringement intended.**

**----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**

**12. The Morning After**

_She looked down upon him, her blue eyes shining in the dark. Beautiful red locks cascaded down her naked torso. Scorpius thought he'll never be able to breathe again as his eyes roved over the magnificent woman straddling him._

_She lowered her head to his, her locks tickling his face._

"_You really seem to be doing a whole lot of staring," she whispered in his ear and then kissed his jaw, "It's not the first time you're seeing a woman naked, are you now Mr. Malfoy?"_

_He smothered a groan as her lips grazed his ear. He knew she was teasing him as she kissed him everywhere on the face, but his lips. He caught her head between his hands, surprising her._

"_But I think I am", He said, crushing her lips with his, losing himself in her taste. Yet again._

Scorpius twitched in his sleep. Merlin, he had to stop doing that! Dreaming that way about _her_. These dreams made him want her even more. All these dreams made him realise just how pathetic he was.

He could feel bright light pricking his eyelids and then yawned. He might as well get up rather than wait for his daughter to wake him up. He yawned again. Why was he so damn tired?

However the moment he opened his eyes, he nearly fell off his bed in shock. For he realised that he had a _naked_ red-haired woman in his arms.

_NO-FUCKING-WAY. _

Rose had slept with him the previous night. The so-called dream wasn't a dream.

A gust of satisfaction blew over him, as the facts that the woman in his arms was really Rose and that they had really slept together, sunk in. Feeling happier and contented than he had ever been, he carefully extracted his arms from around her, making sure he didn't wake her up. He gazed at her bare back lovingly, remembering every bit of their passionate night.

The mind-blowing shower and the lovemaking that had followed had been an out-of-the-earth experience. They had spent the whole night making love, as if trying to catch up on what they had missed out on in the past two years, at least he was. He had savoured every moment of it, as if he won't be able to taste and feel her again, which was quite possible.

Scorpius furrowed his eyebrows as a thought came to mind; Now what?

He had been so thrilled the last night, when she had kissed him for a change. But….

Why did she do it? Was it because she felt something for him? Or was it just one of the caught-up-in-the-moment sort of a thing? Or was it because she had been celibate for so long (he hoped she was) that she became rather desperate and decided to bed him instead? Or was it because she had realised that he was in love with her and had decided to take advantage by making him do whatever she wanted, asking him to sleep with her being the first on her list?

Okay, maybe the last thought was slightly absurd. But it was possible that she knew about his feelings since it was said that a man's actions conveyed his real feelings. Last night he almost bit his tongue off, trying to make sure the words_ I love you_ didn't roll off it while he made love to her. He had _made love_ to her. It wasn't just sex to him. He was no stranger to great sex, but last night was indescribable. The woman he was sleeping with made all the difference in the world.

He knew he and Rose had a lot to sort out. He couldn't just assume she had a thing for him. He knew how much she hated it when he assumed things about her. But he couldn't help but believe that she was attracted to him.

Last night he had felt a connection with her that he had never felt with any woman ever before. He could feel the love he was offering her being reciprocated. It was something else that that he had always been emotionally connected to her, but the physical connection just nailed the fact that she was the one for him. She had always been so. He had just been rather stupid to not notice it earlier.

It felt so natural and frighteningly powerful, that he wondered why they hadn't done this before.

Earlier, he had wondered if sleeping with Rose would quench his blazing desire for her. The night had instead just fuelled it.

For heaven's sake! He had to stop thinking about her, or he was sure he would bed her the moment she woke up. Maybe she wouldn't mind it. However, there was Amelia to tend to.

He sighed and pulled up the sheets to cover his wife's beautiful body. He himself got up from the bed, and pulled on clothes discarded from previous night and walked off to see his daughter, but not before taking a long glimpse at his wife's sleeping form.

He carefully opened the door to his daughter's nursery. It was a medium sized room, with sheep and for some odd reason (or rather James), little pigs with wings, painted on the cream walls. The ceiling was bewitched to look like the night sky. The room was littered with toys, some really big, and some small. There was a large portrait next to the door, a moving portrait of him, Rose and an eight-month old Amelia in her arms, looking like the happiest little family with huge grins on their faces. He wasn't surprised to see his image self throwing loving glances at his wife when she wasn't looking.

"Dardee??" came a curious little voice.

"Hey Princess!", said Scorpius softly, walking over to Amelia's lilac bed. It was very big for her size, and had the softest pillows and mattresses, making sure the little girl had the most comfortable sleep in the world.

Amelia was already wide awake, and was currently playing with her dragon soft toy, a gift from her grand-Uncle Charlie on her first birthday.

She grinned toothily at her father, stretching her arms towards him, urging him to pick her up.

"Did you sleep well? Seems like you've been up for a long time," he asked rubbing his nose against hers. She nodded.

"Mamma?"

"Mamma is sleeping," said Scorpius, suddenly grinning. She was tired and sleepy because of _him_, "She's very tired after yesterday's party. Aren't you hungry?" he asked, tossing her in his arms.

"Hungreee," squealed Amelia, pointing at her stomach.

Scorpius moved to the kitchen with his daughter and placed her down so that she could walk freely.

While he prepared her breakfast, she wandered around, taking her morning walk.

"Amy?" he called when he finished making her food. He walked towards the living room, to see Amelia hugging one of his least favourite muggle contraptions, the VT or was it the TV? He could never learn how to work it, despite Rose's extensive efforts. There were other things he could never figure out; the microwave oven, the fellytone, the washing machine, the fridge. They really did have an awful lot of muggle stuff in the house, since Rose wanted Amelia to have knowledge about non-magic objects as well.

Amelia looked at him hopefully, her eyes asking him to switch it on, so that she could watch her favourite programmes on it.

"Come here!" he whispered, beckoning her closer.

"Tee vee" the little girl whined.

_Great! My own daughter knows more about the muggle world than I do._

"Only if you finish your breakfast, sweetheart. Now come on."

Amelia pouted, her eyes filling with tears. He hated it when she did that; that made him do anything she wanted him to do. The little girl was showing her mother's talent of being able to get work done.

Scorpius sighed, "All right!"

He came forward and bent down to examine the tiny buttons on the contraption. He looked for the largest one, since Rose had said that the largest buttons in any muggle device is usually its starter.

On pressing it, the LCD screen came to life, startling Scorpius, and making Amelia squeal. She quietly sat down on the carpet and watched a purple dinosaur dancing with the kids.

"I guess I should listen to Rose, when she does tell me how to work with muggle thingies," said Scorpius impressed, as he joined his daughter. "She was always a better instructor than the Muggle Studies professor."

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Rose stirred, a small smile breaking on her face. It had been ages since she had slept so amazingly. She stretched, yawned and blinked a few times, and then started when she saw her surroundings.

She wasn't in her room. She was in Scorpius's room.

Everything came in flashes in front of her eyes.

They were arguing, then the next moment they were snogging, and then they-

She shot up, sheets slid down, revealing her naked body.

She flushed red, and pulled up the sheets again, very grateful about the fact that there was no one around.

_Oh My God. OH MY GOD. OH-MY-GOD!!!_

What had happened to her last night? What was she thinking, going up to Scorpius, and snogging the life out of him, when he was clearly mad at her?

_You did that to calm him, so basically kissing him did work_.

She however hadn't expected things to go beyond snogging. It had felt rather surreal when she had felt Scorpius's fingers working on the knot of her dress. Realization had sunk in when she felt him pushing her dress down her body, making a thousand questions run through her mind. Was she ready for this? Would this make things awkward between them? Would they regret spending the night together? They were setting their feet into foreign territory, something they were familiar with otherwise, but not with each other.

The first few months after marriage had been awkward enough since their level of intimacy was limited to snuggling, hugs and pecks on the cheeks because that was their comfort zone. Neither had ever talked about taking their relationship forward in the past two years. Just the thought of bringing up sex was embarrassing. Because they were best friends, and best friends never slept together, unless they were in love.

Did Scorpius want her the way she wanted him? Agreed that she was the one who kissed him but wasn't he the one who really initiated the sex part?

But then, her mind argued, Scorpius was a man. And any man would never hold himself back if he is a minute away from sex, especially if he has been hot for a long time.

AND he had mentioned that he had held up his love (in other words, sex) life only because of her. And she knew just how active his _love_ life was! He was a _very_ attractive man after all, and one-night stands were next to breathing for him.

Her eyes prickled as she realized that the reason why he slept with her was maybe just to get relief. She had been so emotional during their love-making, that she had imagined seeing love in his eyes they moved together. Or had she?

He had been so tender and loving as he held her last night, as if she would break any second. The way he had kissed away her tears as he made love to her or the way he had called out her name when he came, it was too good to be true.

Maybe that's how he was with every woman he had slept with.

They said that sex usually solved everything, makes everything clearer. But it made her feel more confused than ever. Her eyes fell on the clock on the bedside table, and she almost swore; it was well past eleven. She was an early bird, and waking up at such a time made her feel awful. But then she had fallen asleep, or rather, passed out due to sheer exhaustion, in the wee hours of the morning.

Scorpius should have woken her up earlier. He knew that she hated to wake up late. Did he not wake her up because he wasn't ready to talk to her after last night? Was she bad in bed? Was it really uncomfortable for him?

She knew the only uncomfortable thing for her was the fact that Scorpius wasn't in love with her. Other than that, the night was more passionate than she could've ever imagined. The feel of his body against hers felt so familiar, as if this was where she had always wanted to be. It was like she was finally home. His kisses burned her skin, every touch of his sent a wave of pleasure down her body, leaving her wanting more of them. And he never disappointed.

Shaking her head, she got up carefully after wrapping the bed sheet around her. She turned pink when she saw what she believed to be _a part_ of her bra on the floor. Oh they had a wonderful, wild night together alright.

After finding her underwear, she frowned when she couldn't find her dress. Hadn't it been somewhere next to the bed? She however gave up on her search, when she heard a loud rumble from her stomach.

She decided to wear another one of his shirts lying around (_this room needs a lot of cleaning to do!_), since it was long enough to cover till her mid thighs. The moment she wore it, a familiar scent washed over her, the scent that was totally him.

Her heart thudded loudly as she moved downstairs. Her Gryffindor courage seemed to be off on a vacation, since it had been used in excess the previous night. How was she supposed to face Scorpius now? Now onwards, was it going to be awkward between them?

She entered the empty living room, and breathed a sigh of relief.

"Morning sunshine!"

Rose turned in the direction of noise to see Scorpius seated at the dining table with a newspaper. He looked pointedly at the seat next to him and then at her.

The temperature in the Malfoy household seemed to have risen a few degrees, because she suddenly started feeling warm. She could feel her palms becoming sweatier as she walked towards him.

"Had a good sleep?" he asked, flipping through the newspaper.

"Oh yes. You?" _Okay. That wasn't bad. All right! Speak slowly and steadily!_

"Never better. Nice shirt, by the way," he said, smirking at her, as he looked at her figure wolfishly.

She turned pink as she sat down.

_Damn that smirk of his!_

His piercing gaze made her feel as if he could see everything that lay beneath the shirt.

_Well he did see the whole package the previous night_.

"Couldn't find anything else to wear in your room, since my dress seemed to have disappeared of its own wish," said Rose, as nonchalant as she could be, "Where's Amy? Did you feed her?"

"She's taking her after-breakfast nap."

"Okay. I'll make something for myself now," said Rose, getting up, "I'm _starving_..."

"Hey! Me too!"

"Didn't you just have your breakfast?" she asked surprised, as she saw a glass half-filled with pineapple juice, along with an empty bowl on the table.

"Not really. Just a bowl of cornflakes, two apples and two glasses of pineapple juice."

Rose stared at him, "And whatever you had wasn't enough?"

"Not today. I seem to have developed an appetite overnight. I wonder why,"

Her mouth fell open as she observed his twinkling eyes, his face twitched in amusement as he drank the remaining amount of juice.

Was he teasing her?

Over the years Scorpius had mastered the art of teasing her, and she had mastered the art of having a reply back for every one of his remarks. But this was a major leap from pulling her leg about her marks, boyfriends, her freckles. He was teasing her about sex. However it was a tease. And she wasn't going to back out of this one.

"Oh Pur-lease! You hardly did a thing last night! I should be the one having a rather heavy meal!"

It was now Rose's turn to smirk, as Scorpius looked stunned for a moment. She had stumped him with her retort, yet again. He then suddenly smirked at her, making her skin heat up.

"If I recall correctly," he said, regaining his cocky voice back, "You were begging me to stop at one stage."

"In your dreams Malfoy!"

"I would have continued the whole night if you weren't so exhausted. And that is the truth. I just have a lot more stamina than you do," he teased, feeling a lot more at ease. He wiggled his eyebrows at her, waiting for her next retort.

"You are talking as if you didn't mind it."

Scorpius's expression faltered a little. "Mind what?"

"Us sleeping together." Rose bit her lip as her face flamed up. _Damn! Now wasn't the time!_

Scorpius looked genuinely surprised. "Why would I mind, Rose?"

_Now what are you supposed to say to that?!_

Rose stared at the table as she felt his eyes boring onto the side of her face.

"So I was thinking if I should have juice instead of coffee. Quite refreshing and healthier," said Rose hastily, moving from her seat. _Merlin! I'm an idiot_! "So would you like some fried egg scramble?"

She hurried into the kitchen; very well aware of the fact that Scorpius had followed her. She took out a carton of pineapple juice from the fridge, and poured herself a glass. As she took a large gulp, Scorpius coughed behind her.

"Yes?" she asked politely without turning around. She wasn't ready to face him yet.

"Rose," he groaned, "I hate it when you play lets-forget-what-I-just-said. Why do you think I minded making love to you last night?" he gently grabbed her arm, waiting for her to turn around.

Rose almost started. Did he just say 'making love'? He could have said sex, but no; he had said making love.

She turned around instantly to look at him, heart thudding loudly. He looked perturbed and that was all. She sighed.

Did she expect him to have a loving look on his face?

Yes, she did.

She hated herself for getting her hopes up even for the smallest of the seconds.

"I guess because of the reasons of our marriage, I never expected it to happen so suddenly," said Rose in a small voice, staring at his chest.

Scorpius sighed, "Honestly speaking. Neither did I. Since it was, you know, us."

Rose's eyes prickled once again. She pushed past him and bent down to take out a pan from the cabinet.

Scorpius noticed her discomfort. What was with women becoming so moody? Oh wait, did she think that he thought she was bad in bed?

"But I'm glad it happened, Rose. It was fantastic. And you….", he said, his face flushing as images of previous night flooded his mind, "You were brilliant"

Rose turned around to look up at him; _Is he kidding me?_, "Really? Do you really mean it, Scorpius?" she asked in such an unsure manner, that Scorpius wanted to tear off his hair in exasperation, yet wanted to kiss Rose and assure her that he was absolutely right. How could someone so beautiful and amazing not be aware of themselves?

"Of course I mean it," he said, trying to sound as convincing as possible

Rose blushed the brightest red possible, and looked away from him.

"We're married, Rose. Whatever we do together _is_ acceptable."

"Wha-what do you mean?" she spluttered. Surely he didn't want her again. Hadn't last night been a mere chance to relieve himself?

"I'm just saying we are a married couple. There's no need to feel embarrassed about what we did. I don't know why we waited so long." he said. He gave her a soft smile that usually made her weak at the knees. But his little statement had ruined the effect of his smile.

"Yeah, you are right. Sex in a loveless marriage is okay," she said sharply, and turned her attention to the stove, "It happens in many relationships. I absolutely understand"

The thought of him making love to her, just to do it, hurt her deeply.

"I wasn't suggesting it," he added quickly, slightly confused. Had he forced himself on her? And _loveless_?? Didn't she like him? Didn't she want him as well? She certainly wasn't complaining last night.

She ignored his last comment as she went towards the fridge to take out eggs.

She could feel Scorpius's frowning eyes on her. She decided to pretend that she was the only one in the house, trying to see if it made her feel any better.

She had just added some oil to the pan, when she felt Scorpius wrap his arms around her waist.

"What are you doing?" she hissed, as she felt his hands go under her shirt.

"Nothing," he whispered huskily in her ear, making her pulse race, and then proceeded to place light kisses on her neck.

"Th-that doesn't seem n-nothing," stuttered Rose, as she felt his finger lazily trace a circle on her stomach.

"Think again."

Her eyes fluttered close as she felt his finger now slowly tracing a path up from her abdomen. Was he seducing her? Merlin. She was in big trouble.

"I-need-to-ha-have br-breakfa-," Rose tried again as Scorpius's mouth reached her pulse point on her neck.

"You can have me," Scorpius whispered longingly, playfully nipping at her earlobe as he switched off the stove with his other hand.

Her toes curled as his voice washed over her. He wrapped one of his arms around her waist, pressing her as close as possible to his body. However, every coherent thought flew out of her mind when his finger grazed the underside of her breast.

"Someone seems a little devoid of clothing," whispered Scorpius in her ear when he realized she wasn't wearing a bra. Every syllable coming out of his mouth was dripping with desire and lust, "Makes my job all the more easier"

Rose whimpered as she felt his hands go over her breasts. She leaned against him, revelling in his touch and the feel of his toned chest against her back.

He wanted her. The woman tore at his senses, making him want to do things that he never wanted to do to another woman. The way she had responded last night, and the way she was responding now, there was _no way_ she didn't want him.

His tongue ventured out of his mouth, and licked her collarbone. She let out a strangled cry.

He smirked against her neck in triumph, and blew air on the slick trail.

Having enough of his seduction, she turned around immediately in his arms and kissed him hard on his lips, surprising him. His hands crawled up her back under the shirt, pulling her closer. He pulled his mouth back to get some air before he assaulted her neck. The result of previous night's ministrations was still visible on the neck, but he felt the more of them wouldn't hurt.

Rose arched her back against his chest, her breathing becoming erratic as she felt his fingers working on the shirt and his kisses going lower. She gripped his hair, wanting to crush something, or hold on to something. Her brains were reduced to jelly every time this man kissed her.

He wanted to do nothing else but take this woman then and there. She was so bloody incredible. And the fact that she wasn't aware about it, made her even more incredible. He slipped the shirt off her shoulder, closing the distance between their mouths again.

He kissed her hard on her mouth, his hands locking in her auburn tresses, wanting her to know he needed her just as much as he needed oxygen. Her knees buckled as his lips swept deliciously over hers, igniting a blazing fire in her. He lifted her in his arms without breaking contact. Before she knew it, she could feel herself being placed on what she believed was the dining table. Rose had a strong feeling about where this was heading but she didn't feel like protesting at all. She wasn't the one for spontaneity, but somehow this just felt right. Maybe this was what making love was all about. Coming together of a man and a woman spontaneously.

He lowered her onto the table while he raised himself to straddle her. She gasped loudly as her bare back came in contact with the table's cool surface. Her entire body shook with anticipation as his kisses became deeper and his hands roamed the length of her body. She gasped against his mouth as his fingers traced the hemline of her underwear.

Nothing was going to stop him from taking her this moment, he thought, as he pulled back to take let Rose tear the shirt off his body, buttons flying in all directions. He was aroused, and so was she; her eyes could never deceive him. He attacked her lips with full force. Her reaction to his fierce kisses gave birth to a heat inside him, that made his insides melt. She hooked her left arm around his neck, crushing her chest against his, and wrapped her legs around his waist, wanting every bit of space between them to disappear. The feel of her body against his was overwhelming. He felt her right palm resting just above his heart. He was sure she could feel his heart thumping wildly. He could feel his feelings on the brink of bursting out of him. They were choking him now. And he was sure it would choke him to death as well. He pulled back from the intense kiss and rested his forehead against hers, both panting hard.

He looked into her beautiful stormy eyes. This was it. He was just _so tired_ of holding it in himself. It was killing him. Letting her know would ease the intense pain he felt every time he just thought about her. She would either push him off her after this and never let him come on to her or she would give him what he had wanted the most in the world; her love.

"Rose," his voice shook, thick with emotion, "I-"

She however did not believe it was a fair time to talk. So she pulled his head down on hers, making him stop talking.

_Oh well, the confession can wait. _

As her tongue delved into his mouth and her fingers unbuttoned his jeans, his surroundings became a blur. When every shred of clothing had disappeared and their hips met, he was just aware of their pants and gasps, their trembling limbs as they reached out for each other and fell in a soulful dance. The moment was similar yet rather different as compared to previous night. Last night was all about getting relief from the pent-up sexual tension. Right now it was all about raw, unbridled love and desire he felt for his wife. Each time they made love, his body heated up, as if he had fever. Well if he did, then she was the virus. And Merlin he never wanted to recover.

Soon Rose's screams of pleasure echoed in the house, her nails digging in his back and marking him. Every nerve in his body exploding and his blood fizzing, Scorpius collapsed on top of her, breathing hard as he buried his head in the crook of her neck, and tried to his best to not pass out. This was way better than their entire night together.

"Fuck Rose," he gasped in her ear, "I love you so much."

Despite the dizziness, he realized what he had said. He had finally said it. _Fuck_, he had actually said it.

It was a weird feeling. He had finally said those words. An odd of sort of contentment came over him that had to do nothing with their previous physical activity. His heart actually felt lighter.

He felt her body stiffen against his. He slowly raised himself, his heart in his mouth as he wondered what expression she'd have on her face. An expression of anger, guilt, sadness or of euphoria?

This was it. The moment that might change their lives forever.

However, he was surprised when he saw shock on her face. Her cheeks looked flushed, her plush mouth was slightly open and her eyes were unusually bright as she looked at him disbelievingly.

Hadn't she noticed any of his feelings till now?? Was she really that dense? He knew he wasn't subtle about his feelings. She has had to notice it at some point of time.

"Say something," he croaked, feeling his insides turning colder with each passing second. Why wasn't she saying anything? Didn't she feel anything?? _ANYTHING AT ALL?_

"Please," he begged. He hated just how pathetic he sounded. But that was what he was like. He was desperately, hopelessly in love with her.

Rose closed her mouth and lowered her eyes from his face, burning a brighter red. Scorpius felt as if the ground beneath him had been pulled away. He wasn't technically standing but it was pretty much the gist of how he was feeling. He had misread all the signals. She didn't feel the same way. She just wanted a good shag. Feeling crushed, he slowly moved to get up, but Rose caught him by his arms, not allowing him to move off her.

"What?" he breathed, hope bubbling in his heart again.

Rose closed her eyes and squeaked, "Hello Daddy"

_Eh?_

Scorpius was taken aback. Hello _Daddy_? Of all the things in the world-_DADDY_? What the-? Has she lost her mind??

He looked at her, baffled by her words. He raised his eyebrows at her. She finally opened her eyes, and motioned her head to the right, blushing so hard that he swore that he could feel the heat emanating from her.

Scorpius turned to look in that direction and felt his blood run cold.

For there was a copper-haired man standing in their living room, who seemed to have been petrified, looking exactly like a statue with horror painted on its face as it faced them.

"Uh..Hello D-Dad," began Scorpius uncertainly, a furious blush covering his entire body, "So would you like some tea? We were just about to have some."

_____________________________________________________________________________

**AN:-**

**I'm so good with coming up with bizarre endings. And I'm proud of it. :-P**

**I felt this one was slightly more explicit than the previous chapter. So apologies if someone found it rather…well..explicit…**

**It took me ages to finish this one. I'm proud to say that I rewrote the chapter at least thrice, and finally gave up in the end and decided to post it.**

**Please leave a review behind to let me know if I've really screwed up this chapter!**

**Oh yes, I've started a prequel to this story. It's already out, so you can check it out if you want. **

**=)**


	13. Say Goodbye

**I'm extremely pissed because my internet allows me less than a minute to access this site. Which means I have to do everything in under a minute. And hence reviewing is next to impossible.**

**So I'm extremely sorry for not answering the reviews of the previous chapter! But I'd like to thank all those who reviewed; they were absolutely hilarious, enjoyable and amazing! **

**You guys rock and this longer chapter is just for you!**

**Disclaimer:**** Everything recognizable is owned by JKR. No copyright infringement intended. **

**13. Say Goodbye**

Scorpius had a very happy life till now. His childhood was all about discipline around his grandparents and carefree and playful attitude around his parents. Adolescence was all about becoming more conscious about looks, noticing the opposite sex, first dates, first kisses. Life after school was all about getting for a meaningful job, good salary, a roof to live under, countless dates and just having fun in life. Few other unexpected things that came along were getting married, having a kid and finally and truly falling in love with his best friend two years into their marriage.

He had stumbled many times, but eventually he rose again to meet the challenges that came his way. Never once had he wanted to use a time-turner to turn back time so that he could go back in past to undo the mistakes.

But damn there's always a first time for everything.

Nearly ten minutes had passed ever since Ron Weasley had walked into his daughter and her husband shagging on the dining table. There hadn't been any exchange of words; Rose and Scorpius were now fully dressed, still blushing wildly and were sitting with Ron Weasley, who was staring at the ceiling, busy breathing into a paper bag to make sure he didn't throw up any more after having emptied his bowels twice. Rose and Scorpius threw each other furtive glances, silently asking the other to start a conversation for the tension was too thick. Scorpius was pretty close to stabbing himself with that tension.

The only question Scorpius wanted to ask was: _what the hell do you think you're doing here? _But then he figured it was too rude a question to ask. In a way, Ron was welcome because Scorpius didn't have much time to deal with the pain of rejection but had to deal with the humiliation and the embarrassment of being caught nude by Ron Weasley, one of the very last people in the world he had expected to see him naked.

He knew it was the most traumatizing thing in the world, walking in on your daughter being shagged. In their situation, it was a million times worse. He and Rose didn't marry out of love and Ron knew that. But then, they were a married couple after all. So them shagging was justified. But shagging on the dining table? Not that much.

"So," Scorpius started nervously, breaking the silence in the room, "I don't think you would be coming over for dinner any time soon."

Rose looked at him disbelievingly and then smacked him on his forearm.

"Fine", said the blonde, shrugging, "We'll get a new table. This one might be broken anyway."

Rose exhaled loudly.

"Too early to make jokes?" asked Scorpius, wincing.

Ron pulled the paper bag away from his mouth, turned to look at the couple with him.

"Just let me know if there are other places in this house that I can avoid," said Ron in a strangled voice, before covering his mouth with the paper bag again and breathing hard. He threw the settee and the carpet furtive looks before turning back to the ceiling, "Or maybe the entire house itself."

"No!" Rose squealed, her face now a shade of maroon.

"I think you-you should know," spluttered Scorpius, looking for words to save himself from drowning in embarrassment, "We aren't animals who like to do it anywhere and everywhere."

Ron continued staring at the ceiling. Scorpius looked up as well. What was so damn fascinating about it? Every Weasley seemed to love staring at it. Rose, Ron…

"Until today, I never thought you two did it anyway," said Ron as he pulled the paper bag away from his mouth, "Those were the simpler times."

Rose's mouth fell open, "How would you explain Amelia then?" she retorted to do some damage control. She furtively pinched Scorpius.

"Yeah," Scorpius chuckled uncomfortably, since he knew that Ron knew the complete truth.

"But dad," added Rose quickly, "Whatever we were doing, it wasn't for pleasure."

Scorpius turned to look at her disbelievingly, "Why? Why? Why? Wasn't it-why would you say that?" he spluttered.

She however silenced him with a don't-interrupt-or-you'll-mess-it-up-further look.

Rose turned back to her father, who still wasn't looking at them.

"Dad, the thing is," began Rose, thinking very hard of an excuse to convince her father that they weren't horny, even though she didn't know why she was doing it. They were a married couple after all. They were allowed to have sex for pleasure, for conceiving….

"We're trying, Dad" she finished, smiling triumphantly. Scorpius gaped at her.

Ron finally turned to look at his daughter. "What?" he whispered.

"I meant that we want to give Amelia a sibling, and therefore we were trying to get pregnant," continued Rose, making her unspoken wish and desire known.

"Really?" asked Ron, a smile growing on his face.

_Yes!_ Rose screamed in triumph in her head. Scorpius looked at her in admiration.

"Yes. It is true," said Scorpius, smiling, locking his fingers with Rose and feeling the familiar warm sensation creep up. Even though he knew she wasn't feeling the same thing. He was still smarting from the rejection but he couldn't help but feel relieved and relaxed after letting the burden fall off his shoulder.

"Well then. What are you waiting for?" asked Ron, his eyes gleaming.

The couple raised their eyebrows. "What?" asked Rose.

"Rosie, dear, you are evoluting-oh wait-ovulating now, right?"

"_Daddy!_" squealed Rose, mortified, a furious blush covering her cheeks. Scorpius stared at Ron disbelievingly. What was up with parents ever since yesterday?

"What?" asked Ron nonplussed, "Did I say something wrong, Scorpius?"

"I'm sorry sir," said Scorpius, feeling just as uncomfortable as Rose, "A bullet just went through my head and my brain just got splattered all over the wall."

Ron clapped his hands urgently. "Come on now! Hurry up and do it and do it well! We don't much time, do we now?"

"What do you mean?" asked Scorpius, despite the humiliation of being told by his father-in-law to shag his daughter good and well.

"Why else do you think I'm here?"

"Wha-?"

Just then the fireplace turned green, and a raven-haired man stepped out of the fireplace, along with a backpack, "Hello all!"

Scorpius groaned. Why was everyone turning up at his place now? He swore he would kill Albus Potter someday, seeing that he _always_ turned up at the wrong time.

"What are you doing here?" asked Rose weakly, "And why do you have a backpack with you?"

"Because my dearest Rose," said Albus Potter, wiping soot off his cloak, "We are leaving for the mission in an hour."

She did a double-take. They were leaving? In an hour? NOW? She turned to look at Scorpius who was gaping in shock at Albus.

"_In an hour?_" he gasped, unable to digest the fact that he would be leaving in a few minutes, "Weren't we supposed to leave tonight?"

"Four more were kidnapped in Lorraine yesterday afternoon. Didn't you get the message last night at the party?" asked Albus frowning. He turned to Ron, "Didn't you tell him?"

"I thought Teddy would let Scorpius know, since I was, you know, hammered," said Ron sheepishly.

"Great!" said Albus, exasperated, "Now come on Scorpius! MOVE! Teddy and Chris are going to be here at one. The rest have already left to set up camp."

Scorpius got up, feeling numb as he moved upstairs. As an Auror he was supposed to be alert, ready for any whatsoever emergency. But for the first time, when faced with a real crisis, he wasn't ready at all. He had just let his wife know that he loved her! He hadn't even had the time to fully react to her rejection when his father-in-law turned up. And now this! He never had enough time to react to the surprises in his life.

He wasn't ready to say goodbye to Rose, to say goodbye to his sleeping daughter, to say goodbye to those who were close to him. He had gotten up yesterday, believing it to be just another day, which seemed to take a turn for the worse when Rose had announced that she would be working on his birthday. The day however had turned out to be the most magical day of his life. Though the stupid confession of his had been a dampener to the steamy morning session he had, he honestly had looked forward to spending the rest of the day with his wife and his daughter before he left.

Why was life so unfair to him?

As soon as he entered his room, his eyes roved to look for things to be taken for the mission. They landed on a photo on the bedside table which had Rose pushing Amelia on a swing made especially for her in their backyard. Amelia seemed to shriek happily as she went higher, and Rose beamed as she pushed her daughter. His girls looked beautiful.

_That's one down_.

_________________________________________________________________________

Rose was staring at the staircase, absolutely dumbfounded.

_Scorpius is leaving? NOW? How on earth is that possible? He is not leaving now! It's probably a nightmare-He cannot leave me and just disappear somewhere!_

"Hey," said Albus softly, sitting next to her, "I'm really sorry that you guys had no idea about us leaving early. And believe me, I feel really terrible for being the one breaking the news to you. I promise I'll take care of him."

Rose turned to look at him, her eyes blazing and chest heaving with emotion. She couldn't believe this was actually happening to her. They were actually leaving.

The three most important men in her life were going away for the mission. All she wanted to do was hold them back and not let them go. A million questions pertaining to the mission were popping up in her mind. What if they don't come back in full piece? What if they don't come back at all? When would they come back? Would it take them weeks, months? Or years? They would come back, right? Was this what her mother felt like whenever her dad and Uncle Harry left for a mission?

"He's stronger than you, Al. You're the one needing care," she said, her throat drying.

"That's my girl!" exclaimed Albus, hugging her. Rose sighed as she sank into his embrace. It had been ages since they hugged like this. And now that they were hugging again, she realized just how much she missed his hugs. These were the hugs given whenever she did disappointingly in her subjects (at least according to her), or when she broke up with her boyfriends, or basically when she was upset. She felt her tears leak out, startling Albus.

"Hey!" he exclaimed, "We haven't left yet. Keep the waterworks for until then!"

She chuckled through her tears. She'd miss this prat alright.

"MAMMA!!!" came a loud cry from upstairs.

"Oh Amelia's awake! I need to go," squealed Rose, as she extracted herself from Albus's arms.

She quietly moved upstairs to make sure she didn't disturb Scorpius while he packed. However, when she reached Amelia's room, she saw the little girl in her daddy's arms, giggling while he swayed her in his arms, humming a tune she didn't recognize. Her heart always melted whenever she saw the daughter-father duo together, but this time, the sight killed her. She knew she wouldn't be seeing that sight for sometime. She also knew that her little darling would be upset and cry the whole night for her daddy for she had never been away from Scorpius for more than two days. The love Scorpius had for Amelia was immeasurable, so she knew how hard it was for him to leave his darling daughter. She thought of joining them, but then decided against it in the end. They deserved to spend some time together alone.

She walked towards Scorpius's room to pack things for him. His bag was on the bed, she went to get a closer look at the amount of packing done, and was amazed (and annoyed) to find that the only thing he had in his bag was a photo frame. On getting a better look she smiled despite herself. So he had decided to carry a picture of her and Amelia together. Not of him and Amelia or just of Amelia.

He'd remember her as well.

She went to his closet, and looked for the most appropriate wear for France in the winter months. As she was folding the clothes and keeping them in Scorpius's bag, she felt eyes piercing her neck.

"What are you doing?" came Scorpius's voice from behind her.

"Packing for you. Go ahead and talk to Dad and Al. I'll get over with this," said Rose, not turning to look at him. She didn't feel she could. Looking at him would make her feel as if she was looking at him for the last time ever.

"Rose, I think-"

"Just go!" she said a little more harshly than she intended.

No response assured her he was gone. The eerie silence in his room was choking her, an odd sort of fear crept up in her heart. The empty room gave her an ominous feeling this is how the room would be the rest of her life. She bit her lip and grabbed the edge of the bed so tightly till her knuckles turned white as she tried to stop her tears from coming out.

Scorpius would come back safely with all limbs in place, she tried to reassure herself, but when her heart rate increased and breathing became difficult, she gave up trying to reassure herself.

Her eyes flickered to his unmade bed. Very vivid images of the previous night flashed in her mind, making her skin prickle. The rhythm, the heat, the passion, the tenderness, the understanding between them was unmatchable. Just before she had passed out the previous night, she had longed to tell him that she loved him more than she herself could've imagined. But she couldn't. She had become a mass of muscle that was unable to string two coherent words together.

And then today, when she looked into his eyes as they made love, she became undone by the raw emotions flickering in his eyes which had been present the previous night and had been called a figment of her imagination. A look at the storm of emotions brewing in those blue eyes of his, sent a bolt of lightening which traveled the length of her body. All of a sudden she realized, that maybe just maybe, her fantasies were true. Maybe Scorpius did feel something for her.

And when she finally felt blinding pleasure unknown to her, rip through her body, her world becoming black with white spots bursting out randomly in front of her eyes and felt her heart beat matching his, those three words were on the tip of her tongue. But then, she had suddenly spotted her father standing at a distance, his face the sickest shade of green, and every thought flew out of her mind. She could sense and then see Scorpius mouthing something to her, but she couldn't hear a single word. For she was only aware of how her own father could see their naked, flushed, sweaty bodies entwined together and she had never wanted the earth to crack up and eat her alive as badly she had felt then. She hadn't been that naked in front of her father ever since she was three.

And she had thought that she had gotten the shock of the day. But she had to proven wrong.

A tear finally managed to escape her eye. She knew that she wasn't supposed to cry in front of Scorpius since her crying always unsettled him. She was supposed to be strong for him. He had to be made to believe that he would come back.

She herself had to be made to believe that he would come back.

_______________________________________________________________

Scorpius moved downstairs with Amelia, to find Ron inspecting the TV. Albus was nowhere in sight.

"Where's Al??" asked Scorpius, setting his daughter down, who walked towards her grandfather, very happy to see him again after yesterday.

"He flooed back home to get Elora here," said Ron, picking up his granddaughter, "_Hello Darling! Your Gapa missed you cho much! Yes I did. Yes I did._" He murmured to Amelia before tickling her lightly, making her squeal loudly, "And try and block the fireplace when you don't want people to floo in!" he said to Scorpius.

"Sir," began Scorpius irritably, "It would have been better if you had checked in first. Perhaps you wouldn't have had to witness _that_."

"I did," said Ron indignantly as he bounced Amelia in his arms, "I couldn't see you, but I could hear _noise_." Ron's ears turned a violent shade of red which matched Scorpius's blush.

"So", started Scorpius nervously, "Sex wasn't the first thing on your mind."

"Naturally. There's a reason why I thought you two didn't sleep together," said Ron, his tone unusually sharp.

Scorpius gulped, "Sir about what you saw -."

Ron coughed and said, "So the whole I-don't-love-her-like-the-way-you-think-I-do theory isn't really true is it?"

"Pardon?"

"Basically you were lying when you had said that this was a marriage of convenience."

"It is. We were just doing what every couple does after marriage. There are no feelings."

Ron raised his eyebrows, "So you mean to say that you are goofing around with her without letting her know without letting her know about how you feel? Now isn't that something every father wants to hear about his daughter's married life? I let you marry her knowing that someday the two of you will create a real marriage with real feelings!"

"What feelings? Sir I-."

"Everyone can clearly see how much you love her, Scorpius. So there's no need to pretend that you two are in a loveless marriage, alright? You guys are trying for a kid! There's got to be something there!"

Scorpius sighed.

"First of all, we weren't trying. Actually we were just fooling around. And second of all, yes, I am in love with her, I always have been. But..she doesn't feel the same way. Just before you came, I had told her that I love her for the first time ever. But she didn't respond. Just a few seconds ago, she blew me off. What is a bloke supposed to gather from that?"

Ron frowned.

"Then I don't believe she heard it. For she did spot me while you were....on top of her. So basically the confession had taken place after I had come. You actually expected her to answer the question when I was there watching the two of you-do you have a Pensieve here? I need to remove that piece of memory from my mind for I know I'll never be able to think clearly! I think I'm going to throw up again."

Scorpius shook his head.

"We don't. And I don't think she can love me", he said resignedly, flopping himself on one of the settees.

"Why not?! Just tell her again! And this time, wait for a proper answer!"

"I wont! I can't. It takes a lot of guts to say those three words. And the moment had seemed perfectly right."

Ron shook his head. "You are bloody mental, you know that,"

"Yeah, and so I have been told, by Rose of course."

"She loves you more than anything in this world. Do you honestly believe that she doesn't feel anything?"

Scorpius sighed, "I don't have many reasons to believe that she does. I mean she just turned me down."

"Scorpius," began Ron seriously as he sat next to him, "Every father in the world knows that there would be a time when another man would become the most important man in his daughter's life. I never thought that Rosie could find anyone who deserved her. The moment I saw the two of you together for the first time, stepping off the train during the winter vacations of your first year, it felt a dull blow to my stomach. You being a Malfoy was one of the reasons. When you caught her as she lost her balance while pulling out her trunk, it just made me realize that the countdown to me being the second best had started. Somewhere at the back of my mind, I realized that you were the one who would be taking my Rosie away from me, even though you both hardly showed any signs at that age. So you needn't worry. Just tell her again. Get an answer this time.""

"I don't know", said Scorpius sadly as he ran a hand through his hair, "I don't think I'll be able to do it. But thank you for trying."

The door bell rang. Scorpius answered it to find Albus and Elora carrying a large trunk. Scorpius raised his eyebrows.

"Oh come on!" said Albus indignantly, "you actually didn't think I'd let her stay alone at our place?"

"I'm a grown-up woman. I can take care of myself," spat Elora, crossing her arms.

Albus rolled his eyes.

"Hey!" called Rose, entering the scene with Scorpius's bag.

"Yeah, hello to you too!" said Elora viciously, startling Rose.

"Wha-?" started Rose, but then immediately shut up as Albus mouthed 'mood-swings', "So anyone up for tea?"

"Can you get me an empty container or tube, Rose?" called Ron, "A small one preferably."

"Why?" asked Rose, as she opened the kitchen cabinets to look for the said object.

"Just want to remove that memory from my mind or else I'm sure I'll die of a heart attack now."

Rose immediately ducked her head in the cupboard.

"What memory?", asked Albus as he sat down.

A furiously blushing Scorpius quickly said, "A memory of Rose putting a dead spider in his coffee. Rose, hurry up and get some tea!"

_____________________________________________________________

Rose was glancing at the wall clock every two minutes, while the rest talked without any worry in the world, seeing that all were discussing yesterday's party and were laughing their arses off.

_Twenty minutes. That's it. _

It was finally sinking in. Scorpius was leaving. But she couldn't understand why the clock was moving so rather rapidly? It was as if the clock wanted Scorpius to leave her as soon as possible.

"..wanted to record the whole thing. But it was a pity no one had a camera to record it all. Chris was heart-broken," said Albus, wipinghis tears of mirth.

"That boy is in for a rough time," said a red-faced Ron, "I may have been pissed to point of being the butt of people's jokes, but I defeated the ferret! Do you want to say anything in defense, Scorpius? "

All of them looked at Scorpius, who was now looking at his wife curiously, who was wringing her hands nervously and was stealing glances at the clock. Amelia, who was sitting in her lap, did not look too pleased since her mother wasn't being too attentive.

"Rose?" called Scorpius cautiously, feeling slightly hurt that she wasn't talking to him in the last few minutes he was here. Maybe Ron was wrong. Maybe she had heard his confession and wasn't ready to talk to him yet.

"OI! Fire-brigade!" said Albus, using one of his nicknames for her.

Rose turned to glare at him. "What?!"

"Lost in dreams of a certain someone?"

Rose narrowed her eyes, "I wasn't day-dreaming."

"It's all right Rose," said Albus, grinning wickedly, "I know he loves you too."

Rose gave him a death glare, while Ron and Elora chuckled

"Who are you talking about?" interrupted Scorpius, feeling slightly out of place.

"Teddy of course!"

"_Teddy?_ Where did he come from?" asked Scorpius incredulously. _Lupin?????_

"You don't know?" asked Albus playing innocent.

"No, and if you don't tell me-."

"You needn't know Scorp," spat Rose, "Albus is just being a git. It's pretty silly anyway."

"Well I want to know!"

"Well you see," said Albus, his eyes twinkling, "Teddy was Rose's first love."

"Okay?" said Scorpius uncertainly.

"He was the first and only guy she ever wrote poems for. You know, she used to send him "not-so-anonymous' love notes. She used to hang around him, especially during Christmas, hoping to get a 'magical' kiss from him under the mistletoe. James was being a sneaking arse as usual, and he found Rose placing notes in Teddy's room. Since he was an insensitive prick even then, he announced it over Christmas dinner about Rose's little crush. To say Rose was pissed, is an understatement. She literarily bashed up James after the dinner. Ever since then, it had been a thing in our family to tease her about it for there is nothing else we could tease her about." Albus finished, looking satisfied.

Scorpius looked at Rose amusedly, who was turning redder by the second, trying to calm herself before she attacked Albus.

"Hey! I was eight!" burst out Rose indignantly, startling the little girl in her lap, "People are rather foolish around that time. I can recall you dressing up in your mother's clothes so that you could attend Lily's and Roxanne's tea-parties."

Elora snorted into her cup of tea while Scorpius looked at Albus disbelievingly. "_You d__ressed up as a girl?_", he mouthed, shaking with silent laughter.

"We had lived without bringing up that piece of knowledge for seventeen years," said Albus through gritted teeth, turning red as his wife and best mate laughed at him.

Rose smirked, "Look who's talking! Scorpius had no idea about the infatuation till now."

"Oh!" said Albus, suddenly smiling again, "Now that we are back on the topic, Teddy thought you looked rather _good_ in that dress you were wearing yesterday. If you know what I mean." He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively, "Victoire wasn't too pleased with him since he couldn't keep his eyes off you."

"Shut up!" said Rose, turning pink, though Scorpius couldn't help notice that she wasn't sounding offended or upset. She was sounding rather _pleased_. He could feel the familiar burning sensation in his heart, his hands itching to break something. _Maybe Teddy's nose._ Why were all the men in the world, that too the most good-looking ones, after the woman he loved? It was rather ironic, his life was. In his teen years, he was the one being chased, and now he's the one chasing.

Teddy had always been a good friend of Rose and Scorpius hadn't felt any sort of suspicion, until Albus mentioned Rose's infatuation with the Metamorphagus and the fact that he had checked her out the entire evening. But then, Albus was most probably just bluffing. He always had a thing for exaggeration.

_But what if he is right? What if Teddy was really besotted by Rose?_

Scorpius felt like banging his head against the wall. He was becoming too possessive about Rose with each passing day. So possessive that he now doubted her relationship with Teddy, someone he has always admired. Soon he'll start doubting Rose's friendship with every guy.

Merlin, he needed therapy as soon as possible.

To make matters worse, Ron Weasley was looking at him knowingly.

Why was life so unfair to him?

Five minutes later, Chris and Teddy arrived with their luggage. Hermione too turned up with Ron's luggage.

"Take care, all right?" said Hermione softly, looking up at her husband lovingly, "And be back soon." And then she raised herself to kiss him, which turned into a snog when Ron lifted her in his arms in to return the kiss rather enthusiastically.

Rose rolled her eyes at her parents, and then turned to look at Albus and Elora and smiled as she saw Albus talking to Elora's bulging tummy, and then placing a kiss on it. She felt a sudden pull at the bottom of her stomach when she saw Albus kissing Elora desperately. She hoped he would come back home absolutely fine and before the birth of their baby. They had been trying for a baby for a rather long time and she felt that it wouldn't be fair to them if Albus wasn't there for the birth of his first child. Chris and Teddy were in a serious conversation, poring over a piece of paper.

Her eyes now shifted to her own husband, who was looking back at her.

"So…" Rose started awkwardly, "Take care. I've kept about a dozen bottles of Essence of Dittany. So you won't fall short of it."

"A dozen?" gasped Scorpius, "but the bag's tiny and feels light and-"

"I'm a smart witch, remember?"

"Right."

They fell silent as their gazes fell to the floor.

A violent battle was going on in Scorpius's head. should he tell her or should he not tell her? He wondered if he should weigh the pros and cons but then realized he didnt have time. He took a deep breath and decided to try again. What was the harm anyway? The worst thing that could happen was her rejecting him

He wondered how to start off about how he felt. He looked at his daughter in Rose's arms.

"Hey Amy," he began softly. Amelia looked at him with her tongue poked out, "I won't be here for some time. So take care of your mother for me. She can be quite a pain. She can be rather crazy at times. She can nag you to point of being absolutely mental. She'll shriek at you till you agree with her-"

"Are you making fun of me?" snapped Rose.

"But you should know", continued Scorpius as if he hadn't heard her. It was easier to continue once he had started, "that I love your mother more than anything in this world. So I want you to make sure that she's never alone or upset while I'm gone, for it breaks my heart to see a single tear in her eye. Got it Amelia?"

Breathing deeply, he looked at Rose. She looked back at him with her mouth slightly open. He could read a myriad emotions flashing in her eyes, her cheeks flushing pink.

"_You love me?_" she breathed, her voice trembling a bit as he saw disbelief written all over her face.

Scorpius raised his eyebrows. So maybe she hadn't heard the previous confession.

"I think", interrupted Ron loudly, "I want to say goodbye to my granddaughter."

He took Amelia from Rose's arms, pulled a curious-looking Hermione away from the couple so that the two of them could have their privacy.

Scorpius took her left hand in his hands, his eyes boring into hers. His heart was in his mouth as he realized that he was _finally_ going to bare it all to her.

"Rose", he began softly so that other's could not hear him, "When we had gotten married, I had wondered how this marriage was going to survive, since I was marrying you mainly because I wanted to help you out. I believed it to be the most difficult task I would have to go through. But surprisingly, it was as easy and natural as breathing and before I knew it, I loved the idea of having a family of my own. But then I realized that I could think of the word 'family' only with you. With time I soon learned why. It was because I had fallen in love with you. I know that I had told you earlier that I don't think I could ever fall in love. But I did. I don't even know how it happened. All I know is that it just did. I have never felt this happy and contented before. I mean, you are so fucking incredible and beautiful-you are you-I really don't have words to describe just how amazing you are, and how you make me feel-Bloody hell! I am so bad at this. Look, I know I'm not too good with words and letting out my emotions. But I thought you should know all this just in case I don't- I want to thank you for letting me marry you, for letting me be Amelia's father and making me fall in love with you. I don't care about the reasons for our marriage. All I know is that I love you and always will even if you don't reciprocate my feelings. Yeah, that's all."

Scorpius was sure that time had stopped and so had his heart. He held his breath as Rose's face twitched. He felt his stomach disappear when her shocked expression turned to that of fury.

And before he knew it, her right hand came in contact with his cheek making his cheek sting, but he didn't even flinch. He knew he was going to freak her out the moment he let her know about his feelings.

Why did he ever listen to Ron Weasley?

He was very aware of the fact that the rest of the people were looking at them curiously since they had no idea about why Rose had slapped him, making him feel more humiliated than ever.

"I _hate_ you, you know that!" said Rose hoarsely, looking extremely angry.

"So yeah," he said resignedly as he turned around, "Take-."

"You have the worst timing in the world. Worse than Albus,"

"Wha-?"

Before he could even complete the word, she had turned him around and pulled his head down for a ferocious kiss that left him breathless and turned his world upside down. All his senses seemed to have come alive as he felt one jolt after the other in his nerves as her lips moved passionately against his. It wasn't lustful like their previous kisses but the passion and _something else_ that he could feel in it sent him more reeling than any other of their kisses and literarily set his lungs on fire. He was very aware of the blood pumping violently in his head. He locked one of his hands in her open tresses and the other one wound itself around her waist, pulling her as close as possible as she locked her fingers in his hair pressing herself closer to him desperately. He tried to memorize every curve of her body, her taste, the feel of her lips against his. Every body part of his tingled, her insides melted, and he felt like sitting because he was sure he couldn't stand any more. This was the most exhilarating kiss he had ever had.

Her lips seemed to be pouring out infinite emotions, overwhelming him to the point of bursting into pieces. It was like she meant the heat, the passion, and the emotions that the kiss conveyed.

Such a kiss could mean only one thing.

She loved him too.

He gripped her against his body more firmly, his insides exploding in joy. He was suddenly flying high and he never wanted to come down. Every nerve, every cell in his body seemed to be singing '_She loves me too!_" in tune, all of them doing a little happy jig along.

She loved him back.

But then someone coughed rather loudly around them, and the two finally pulled apart, extremely reluctantly. He was rather surprised when he realized that he had lifted her in his arms.

They looked at each other, breathless after their passionate kiss. Scorpius heart raced as he saw Rose's eyes sparkling with tears of joy, literarily opening the window to her soul to him.

Merlin, she actually _fucking_ loved him.

_BLOODY HELL!_

"You honestly have no idea," murmured Rose, her lips brushing against his as she spoke, "Just how long I've waited to hear this. I've practically waited for you to say that since forever."

"I think I know how that feels," replied Scorpius softly, before capturing her lips again, almost swaying on the spot as they held on to each other.

"You do realize" came Albus Potter's voice, interrupting them, "that your kid is watching the two of you trying to devour each other"

Rose and Scorpius broke apart and started laughing immediately. The Prat interrupted them yet again. But this time, it wasn't as bad.

Merlin! They knew they had their shares of interruptions.

They turned to look at each other and grinned goofily like love-struck teenagers as they coyly intertwined their fingers.

"So take care," said Rose softly, her voice oozing joy as she curved her finger around his chin, stroking it lightly, "Don't be too rash. Just take care. Come back soon. Please be careful! Eat well if you can."

"Okay. _Mom_." Said Scorpius chuckling, as he enveloped her in a hug. He inhaled her scent as he held her in his arms.

All of a sudden he was reminded that he had to leave. He honestly didn't want to leave her. Who would want to leave with just having declared his love for another person just to find out that the person reciprocated their feelings? They had so much to talk about! Who would want to leave the house when they had a wife like Rose? Who would want to leave when they have found out that their life had in fact finally become that they had always craved for: perfection.

But he knew he was an Auror. And for an Auror, nothing came before his duty.

Therefore the declaration and the knowledge was good enough. For now.

"Daddeeee!"

The two broke apart as Amelia cried out for her father, not too pleased with the fact both her parents ignored her.

"Don't worry, sweetie. I love you just as much as I love your Mamma" said Scorpius lightly as he held her, "Daddy's going to miss you too. _Yes I will. Yes I will_." He lightly pulled her nose before kissing her on the cheek, making her giggle.

Amelia pressed a sloppy kiss to his cheek just as Ron announced, "All right, gather around. Five minutes left. The portkey here-" Ron raised his hand to show an old tin can in his hand, "would work only at the moment my watch shows one pm. I don't even know how Harry managed to do this! Blimey! Hermione, could you…"

Scorpius immediately turned to Rose, "Take care of her. And don't be too harsh on her if she doesn't eat her cereal. It sucks, honestly speaking."

"Yeah okay. I'll try something else then." said Rose, smiling slightly.

"And by the way", said Scorpius suddenly smirking, "If last night and today morning wasn't enough to get you pregnant, you better watch out when I come back. I really want to have more of them. To create a _real_ Malfoy with you." He said, lowering his voice for the last sentence.

"I think I'd like three more", said Rose, looking at him from under her eyelashes, grinning embarrassedly.

Scorpius raised his eyebrow amusedly, "_Three more?_ Then our family is going to be as big as a Quidditch team. But I don't think I'll mind that. Since the production part is going to be quite enjoyable. I did quite like the previews I must say."

Rose flushed red immediately, giving him the desired effect.

"The fluff and the blush makes me gag!" said Albus as he came towards them, "So stop it. And Rose, you can bring on the tears now!"

Rose rolled her eyes before she hugged Albus tightly and kissed him on the cheek.

"Take care, you freak", said Rose chuckling as she pulled his cheeks.

"I'm the one going on a mission, yet I'm called a freak. The world is so unfair", said Albus dramatically as he turned to Amelia.

Next, Rose launched herself in her father's arms.

"Take care, Daddy," she whispered as she looked up at him, shaking slightly.

Ron grinned at her, "Don't worry Princess. The old man is better than the lot. You just worry about changing that table of yours," making Rose blush furiously.

"Table? Which one?" asked Hermione confused.

"Yeah their dining table" said Ron, winking at his daughter, "I think it's broken."

"How on earth did that happen?" asked Hermione impatiently,

"Just the way we broke our first table."

"Oh!" said Hermione flushing pink. Her eyes suddenly became wide, "You saw them going at it?!"

Ron's ears turned red as Hermione giggled.

Scorpius felt the tiniest bit of jealousy as he saw Teddy hugging Rose and not letting her go, making her giggle as she struggled in his arms. But the act didn't make him want to punch Teddy's nose. It didn't matter any more.

The fact that mattered was that Rose loved him.

Him as in Scorpius Hyperion Malfoy.

Rose finally turned to him, her eyes glistening with tears and a sad smile on her face.

"Hey you," said Scorpius, holding her hand gently, "Don't worry, I'll be back soon."

"It's not that! I really wish we hadn't wasted all that time", she said wistfully as she placed fiddled with his collar, straightening and smoothening it unnecessarily, "There is so much that we have to talk about. We were so stupid-so dumb-so-." She choked on her words and looked up at him, biting her lip as she tried to hold in the sea of tears threatening to spill out.

"We were blind. Period. I Love you", he said, before pressing his lips to her forehead.

"I love you too", she whispered as she leant her head against his chest and sniffed softly.

That was the first time he had heard her say that. The words coming from her mouth sounded like the most beautiful thing he had ever heard, which sent his pulse racing and he knew he wouldn't be able to stop grinning due to happiness for the rest of his life. He was sure he could feel his marrow vibrating with joy.

"GET YOUR ARSE HERE MALFOY! THIRTY SECONDS!" came Chris's voice, making him jump.

Scorpius immediately pressed a soft kiss to Rose's lips and rushed to the spot where the rest four were holding the can. As he got hold of the can, he turned back to look at his wife and his daughter for the last time.

Tears were now flowing from her Rose's eyes, but a small smile on her face made him believe that she was fine. She mouthed 'I love you' and gave him a small wink which made him chuckle. She muttered something to Amelia and the little girl waved, flashing her crooked smile at him as she flexed her fingers at him.

They were his family. He loved them and they loved him too. A precious daughter he couldn't possibly live without and a wife who was the reason why he breathed.

How on earth did he ever get so lucky?

He felt his eyes stinging and he quickly blinked away the tears that were forming in his eyes.

For he was a Malfoy. And Malfoys never cried.

His eyes hungrily drank every bit of what he could see of his family before he felt a familiar jerk behind his navel, taking him to the land of the unknown.

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**AN:-**

**And you thought I wouldn't let the poor souls know about each others feeling's till the end of the story! So all those who have waited for this moment can join me in celebrations!**

**This beginning of the chapter has been inspired by an episode of TV series F.R.I.E.N.D.S.**

**This one's for those who have added this story to their favourites and haven't reviewed even once till now: Stop being lazy and write **_**something!**_** There's got to be a reason why you like (if not love) this story! **

**And for the other brilliant fantabulous people, please review!!**

**(I know, I'm very partial to reviewers)**

**:P**


	14. Deja Vu

**I know most of you would probably want to kill me for such a late update. But I have been terribly busy with college admissions and a LOT of other things!! Now that that has been sorted, updates would definitely be quicker than this one!! Because I don't plan to ditch this fan-fic at all and I would definitely finish this story!! **

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****Disclaimer:**** All recognizable characters belong to JKR. No copyright infringement intended.**

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**14. Déjà Vu.**

It had been nearly thirteen hours since she had returned from the party, but Lily Potter had neither changed from her casuals nor had she gotten a wink. The only thing she had done in the time passed was boring holes in the wall opposite her bed.

Lily sighed as a sense of déjà vu passed over her when the disclosed secret ran through her mind. She didn't know whether to be surprised or be disgusted by the fact that Rose Weasley had yet again managed to get something she never got.

It had been rather obvious ever since they were known to each other.

Lily had always admired Albus the most among her brothers, including her cousins. He wasn't pompous, mental, obnoxious, loud like the rest of the Weasleys. He was down-to-earth (as compared to his cousins), calm, shy, witty, warm and amiable. While James was amazingly thick-headed, Albus had always been surprisingly mature for his age. All her male cousins but Albus loved playing pranks on her since she was the youngest Weasley by blood. Instead of reprimanding them, Albus would suggest a prank for revenge and also helped with the initial set-up. During thunderstorms, she always slept next to Albus in his room. He was her elder brother. He was her best friend who would protect her from everything. She was always under that illusion that she was the girl closest to him. She had always believed that she was going to be the one with whom Albus could discuss girl problems freely.

But this illusion had always lasted only when Rose wasn't around. With Rose, it was almost like Lily never existed for Albus. Rage always flooded her whenever she saw Albus with Rose. Albus looked much happier with Rose than he had been with her. With passing years, the relationship between her and Albus had been diminished to that of a brother and sister only. They weren't friends like they had been earlier when they were little kids.

He wasn't her best friend anymore. He was Rose Weasley's best friend.

That had been strike one.

When her Uncle Ron had pointed out a platinum blonde boy out to them on Platform nine and three-quarters on September 1st, 2017, she felt she could never breathe again. He looked like a Prince, tall and incredibly beautiful for his age. When Albus wrote back on his first day saying that he had been sorted into Slytherin and had made friends with Scorpius Malfoy, Lily's dream had come true. She knew her Mum had gone through the same thing when her father, Harry Potter had befriended her Uncle Ron. She had sincerely believed that her story would have the same ending as her Mum's. She was quite upset when she had been sorted into Hufflepuff. But the fact that she could stare at Scorpius to her heart's content made her feel lots better. She had resorted to stalking him without getting noticed by him. She hoped to know everything about him before she started pursuing him. But then one day she caught Scorpius alone with Rose in the library and all her hopes of making Scorpius fancy her went down the drain.

The way he looked at her made her feel as if he couldn't see anything around him but Rose. The smug look on his face as he made her laugh, the teasing glint in his eyes as he pulled her pigtails, the falling expression when Rose stormed away from him; it was too glaring-in-the-face kind of a thing. Even though she could sense the sparks flying between the two whenever their eyes met and she herself had moved on to date other boys, she still bore something for him and got hope from the fact that Rose and Scorpius hadn't shown any _real_ interest in each other. But then one day, she had heard from Lorcan about Scorpius and Rose snogging each other by the lake on Christmas during her fifth year, a fact denied rather blatantly by the couple. And that was the day she realized that Scorpius was meant to be with Rose. Sooner or later, it would happen. And it did.

That had been strike two.

One of the boys she had dated while in school to keep her mind off Scorpius was Ryan Smith. He was extremely good-looking, a brilliant Quidditch player, charming, witty and romantic, a trait Scorpius apparently lacked, according to Scorpius' previous girlfriends. Soon, she didn't know how, she was falling rather badly for Smith, despite her brothers' warnings. He might have been a womanizing version of Voldermort to her brothers, but to her he was an entirely different human being. Every time his hand had brushed against hers, she could feel her blood rushing to her face. Every time his lips met hers, a fierce fire raged inside her body. A smile in her direction always made her heart flutter. Those tender kisses on her nose and on the forehead made her heart melt and filled her with a warm, mushy feeling that kept her smiling the whole day. Whenever he whispered 'I love you' in her ears, her heart expanded in joy and relief. He had never pressurized her to sleep with him. She had told him that she wasn't ready, and he had gladly accepted saying that he too wanted to take things slowly in their relationship. Just the fact that he was ready to wait for her made her feel that he would be there with her forever.

Just when she had thought that he was the one for her, he had dumped her in the Great Hall in front of everyone without any previous warning or any reasoning. She was shocked, heartbroken and humiliated to an extent she hadn't even heard of, leading to sleepless nights or bouts of sobs at the astronomy tower at odd hours. She might as well have sliced her own heart out and served it to the freak of an arsehole on a silver platter. She felt as if she would never be able to love, trust and understand anyone ever again. And the hate she bore for him was nothing compared as to the pain of wanting to know why he had acted the way he did.

The healing took its own time. Too long enough, but in the end, the heart was able to feel again.

She believed that Ryan was good for nothing and that he could never truly fall in love with any woman. He was only out to ruin every woman in the world. Love wasn't something he was supposed to believe in. But he did. He fell in love with Rose Bloody Weasley and had a kid with her, even though the kid was more or less accidental. But Rose had gotten what Lily had ever wanted. Like always.

And that was the strike three. The final blow.

Lily sighed sadly as she got up and moved to the balcony of the bedroom.

What had she ever done to deserve this?

No, she didn't hate Rose for what happened to her. She never could. Rose was a wonderful person. She was her cousin. Rose had been anything but unpleasant to her. She knew that whatever had happened had been a mere co-incidence.

But _thrice_?

Lily took a long swig from the bottle of butterbeer in her hand, remembering the previous night's party. She had been dancing with Teddy, who was at his charming best, and treating her like the sister he never really had. He was one of the very few people who could make her go into hysterics. She was in one of them when suddenly, she saw them.

A sharp pain ripped through her heart as she saw Rose dancing with Scorpius, swaying in his arms as he rolled her in. The chemistry between them and the love they had for each other was just too visible to her. Excusing herself from Teddy, who then had grabbed Victoire for the dance, she moved towards the house, sick of seeing just how happy Rose and Scorpius looked. She had wondered if her crush on Scorpius was becoming more serious again. But an another voice in her head had said that she was just upset because she hadn't found that special someone yet and 'crushing on Scorpius' topic was just a scapegoat. She hid herself in the in the dark stairway, feeling too sick and upset to rejoin the party. She had no idea about how long she sat there and was extremely stung and hurt to know that no one was looking for her. Then all of a sudden, she could hear Lysander's baritone reverberating in the hall. She peeked from the stairway and saw Rose with him, piquing her curiosity.

She moved closer to them in the dark to hear what they were talking about. Her eyes became wide with each passing second, as the words 'Ryan Smith is Amelia's father' floated in the air. The two of them disappeared soon enough, with Rose promising to fight back if Ryan tried to do something, but neither of them had noticed her standing so close to them. Feeling as if she was about to throw up, she apparated home and emptied her bowels instantly.

It was unbelievable. She couldn't understand how on earth Ryan managed to charm Rose into going out with him? She knew just how much Rose detested him, especially after Ryan had dumped her in the Great Hall.

And how Ryan fell for Rose is another mystery. Rose wasn't one of those stunning-looking airheads who slept with Ryan. Rose was incredibly intelligent, sensible, not pretty, but beautiful. Also, she did not understand why Scorpius married Rose despite knowing that the child Rose was carrying, was in fact his enemy's. Wait a minute, did Rose even let Scorpius know that it was Ryan's kid? What if Ryan was trying to ruin another Weasley's life, something that he had tried when in school and had come out successful in Lily's case.

There were a thousand questions buzzing around in her head but she knew she didn't have any answers.

_"He just wants a reason to get you back. The child is his trump card. He will go to any lengths to get his child. I saw a glimpse of happiness on his face when he realized that he had a daughter, that he had a family that he had always wanted. And I also know it is the first time he sincerely fell for someone. So do you think he'll hold himself back? No. So please watch out." _

Lysander's voice boomed in her head. Ryan was trying to ruin Rose and Scorpius' happy married life.

As much as she would have loved to see the chaos that could take place, she was just too mad and hated Ryan enough to make sure that he didn't ruin another woman's future. Especially when the woman is one of her cousins.

She didn't know about Rose and Scorpius, but she knew that she had to go and let him know that the last time he messed with a Weasley woman, he had gotten off tamely. But this time, it might be a matter of life and death. For she knew that if Ryan tried to hurt Rose in any way, Scorpius would not let him live.

* * *

Lily raised her eyebrows, extremely impressed with the grandeur of the mansion and its surroundings. The broad pebbled pathway, the well-manicured (and HUGE) lawns, the beautifully carved statues and fountains and the old stone architecture made the mansion look like a palace.

Ryan Smith might have been a bastard but he was good when it came to style. He was one of the finest dressed people she had ever seen in her life. And style did not have to do anything with the price of the things he bought. Anything and everything he did always suited his persona. Classy robes, the majestic swagger, being a heartbreaker.

Lily was slightly surprised to see that the place did not seem to have much security as she would have expected from a famous Quidditch player. When she had entered the place she had half expected to be ambushed by someone or thrown out by a repelling charm at the gate. But she was halfway towards the main door, and nothing had happened till now. It was freaking her out more than anything else.

Lily smiled as she saw white daisies next to her swaying happily with the slightly cold wind. All the flowers seemed to be blossoming happily. His garden was amazingly beautiful. She rarely ever praised anyone or anything's beauty, but the garden did really deserve a compliment from her.

"Hello miss!"

Lily jumped a foot in the air at the sudden voice. She turned around to see a house-elf with big blue eyes, dressed neatly in a black and white frock, staring at her.

"How can Silky help you miss?" the little elf squeaked happily, "You is wanting to meet my master?"

Lily raised her eyebrows. If Ryan did love Rose, he would have known just how much Rose hated slavery of elves. She remembered how Scorpius wanted to keep a house-elf after Rose had Amelia but she had thrown a tantrum instead, threatening him that she would throw him out if he dared to even mention the topic when under the same roof.

Lily smiled uncertainly at the house-elf.

"Yes, I am here to meet your master. Is he home?"

Silky nodded, her bat like ears whipping against the cold wind.

"Master came back from Quidditch practice. You is to wait in the hall while I let him know about your presence, Miss-?"

Lily opened her mouth to say her name but stopped instantly. She got a sinking feeling that if Ryan comes to know that she, Lily Potter, has come to meet him, he would send her away without even looking at her. There was perhaps only one woman Ryan would never hesitate in talking to.

"Rose Weasley. Ms. Rose Weasley."

* * *

"Please be seated, Miss. Silky would let Master know that Miss Rose Weasley is here."

Lily nodded, feeling slightly uneasy as she sat down. The hall was slightly colder than it was outside. The living hall was huge. The ceiling was extremely high. The room looked too majestic for her taste. The lights hadn't been switched on yet, and just a few of the curtains had been pulled open till now. Her stomach gave another uncomfortable jolt when she realized that other than the various art pieces and family portraits, there was one life-like image of Rose and Ryan together on the wall.

She went closer to examine them, ignoring the sinking feeling in her stomach as she looked at just how happy the two of them looked in each other's arms. It seemed to have been taken on a bright sunny day in a rather green area. Ryan had wrapped his arms around Rose from behind and looked at her in adoration as she smiled at the camera, and then proceeded to sink his face in her hair, while Rose seemed to squeal and then turned her head back to steal a kiss from him.

Merlin! If she hadn't ever seen Rose and Scorpius together, she would have believed that these two were meant to be together. She ignored another punch to her stomach. Couldn't she ever get that happiness with anyone?? Why couldn't she ever get that happiness with him?? What had she done to deserve the humiliation bestowed on her by 'his royal highness'?

"I knew you would always come back."

Lily froze instantly as Ryan Smith's voice reached her ears. She hadn't heard his voice ever since he left Hogwarts. Lily desperately tried to ignore the flip-flops in her stomach, the building flush in her body as she realized that Ryan Smith was in the same room as she was after nearly seven years. She didn't want to give any signals to him which would make him think that she still bore something for him.

Of course she didn't.

She _definitely_ didn't.

"Oh come on Rose!"-Lily bit her lip from cursing. Why was it always Rose?? Oh yeah, because she told the house-elf to address her as Rose Weasley-"It's not like you haven't seen me in a towel before!!"

Lily swore under her breath. This was not how she wanted to see her ex-boyfriend after years of not having seen him. In a _bloody towel_.

"Really now!" Lily detected a playfulness in his voice and her body ached on knowing that it wasn't for her, "Do you really want to play hard to get?"

Lily felt him coming closer, her heart beating faster every next step. She was going to see the man she was in love with, again.

She took a deep breath and turned around and blushed immediately, her thumping heart stuck in her throat.

Ryan Smith stopped immediately in his tracks and narrowed his eyes, "You're not Rose!"

He immediately clicked his fingers, and the lights came on.

Lily gulped as her eyes went over his chiseled torso, which ended into a soft white towel wrapped around his waist. The soft steaming skin wasn't helping in stopping her imagination from going absolutely crazy.

Shock was written in every inch of Ryan's face as he surveyed the woman in front of him.

"Lily?" he croaked, his eyebrows in danger of disappearing in his hair.

He was using that soft tender voice again. The voice that did incredible things to her nerves. The crazy things that made her believe that he was the one for her.

Something instantly snapped in her, telling her to get a grip and get her work done quickly and get the hell out of here.

"Smith", she said stiffly, "We need to talk. Cover yourself up by the way. Flashing your broomstick should be the last thing you should do to get a girl to ride it", she added, her eyes traveling downwards suggestively.

His pale blue eyes turned frosty, but his face turned pink as his hand instantly reached for the towel, making sure it was in place. He called for his elf, who got him fresh clothes and dressed him with a snap of her fingers.

"You're just miffed for you never got a ride", he said arrogantly, fastening his robe around him and dismissing his elf.

Lily rolled her eyes. "Didn't I ever mention it to you I was never ready to sleep with you?"

"Tch Tch. I had wondered if you'll ever change your attitude. From being a spoilt brat, you've become a super-spoilt brat. Congratulations on that."

"Well since you haven't stopped being a complete arse, I don't why I should change my ways!"

"Now, now Potter. What are you doing here? You better get out of here or else I'll get you booked under the Stalker Act of 1204."

"I am here to talk to you", said Lily briskly, trying to keep her tone indifferent.

"About what if I may ask. I have no interest in modeling for your clothing line. I am too busy."

"Like I would want you to advertise women's wear. I have better female looking models, thank you very much. I am here to talk about Rose…and Amelia."

Ryan's face hardened.

"Five minutes", he growled, his eyes flickering to the portrait Lily had been observing recently.

Lily took a deep breath and steeled herself for an explosion that might take place..

"What are you doing to Rose and Scorpius? You shouldn't really try and mess their lives."

Ryan raised an eyebrow, "It is none of your business really. Malfoy stole my woman and my daughter. So it is rather obvious that I am going to get them back. If this is why you came here, to warn me and all, then I suggest you get your arse out of here."

Lily instead, loftily strode over to the one of the settees, and plonked herself on it. She crossed her arms over her chest as she looked at him through her narrowed eyes.

"I am not going anywhere till you let me know why you are really trying to hurt Rose. I came here to warn you-."

"Look Potter." Ryan interrupted, glaring at her, "I can figure out that you must have just found out the truth that Malfoy's been hiding for the past two years or so. I honestly don't care what happens to me while I'm trying to get Rose back. I need her in my life. So just get out of here, alright?"

Lily shot back a glare.

"You know what Smith?" she spat, "I had come here to warn you of the consequences that you could face if you tried messing up Rose and Scorpius' marriage. I had wondered if Rose liked you for change in your attitude. But I guess there wasn't any. So in a way, I think you deserve the trashing that Scorpius can give. You in no way deserve Rose."

"Shut up!" growled Ryan, "You have no whatsoever right to tell me whether I deserve her or not! I have been in love with her ever since the seventh year at Hogwarts-"

Lily drew in a sharp breath. He was in love with Rose while he was dating her?? The back of her eyes started stinging instantly. How on earth was she so naïve back then? How had she even believed that Ryan actually liked her then? And why was it always ROSE BLOODY Weasley?!

"You might think that I am lying about the 'love' part. But I am not. I have pined for her before I got together with her, and also after I left her. I know dumping her wasn't the smartest thing to do. But I had to make a choice between Quidditch and her-"

"And you did", said Lily waspishly, blinking rather rapidly as his revelation burned in her, "So quit the whining, forget about her, and move on with life. Scorpius doesn't deserve the trouble-."

"Scorpius. That is all I hear!!", said Ryan, his nostrils flaring in anger, "the world cares about what the little Death Eater has to say, think and feel about everything. What am I? A piece of junk??"

"No you're not a piece of junk!" said Lily sarcastically, "You are a pure conniving bastard. You don't deserve someone!"

"Oh yes, and the last time I checked the rule books, 'pure conniving bastards' were supposed to be heartless and not know how to feel."

Lily rolled her eyes.

"Honestly! Your so called comebacks must be the worst comebacks in the history of, well, comebacks!"

"I don't even know why I am talking to you. Just get out of here."

"Not unless you promise me that you would stay away from Rose and her family. You could be in serious danger if you do."

"And why do you care?!!"

Lily faltered. Really, why did she want to warn him about the impending doom on his way just in case he tries to mess things up? She was mad at him for what he did to her. She hated, or rather disliked him for the way he broke her heart so miserably. She would rather love to watch the destruction the guy would bring on himself, right? RIGHT??

Lily opened her mouth and closed it immediately without saying anything. She looked down at the carpet as she felt Ryan's eyes bore into her face.

"Ever had your family snatched away from you?"

Lily's head snapped up to see Ryan now staring out the large clean windows.

"Have you ever felt that someone else is living the life you've ever wanted?" asked Ryan harshly, pounding his fist against the windows angrily, making it rattle.

"Wha-?"

"I have seen my daughter being cradled in Malfoy's arms!!" spat Ryan as he turned around. Anguish was etched in every line of his face. "Do you know just _how much_ I want to hold her? Make her laugh, hear her call me 'daddy'? It fucking _hurts_ to see how happy Rose and Amelia look with that tosser. Earlier when I thought that she was Malfoy's kid, it was unbearable. But when I did realize that that little angel in his arms was actually mine, rage I had never known had filled me. It _hurts_ to know that Malfoy's taken my place in my daughter's and the woman who could have been my wife's life. I know I have made mistakes. Bloody hell, I have made a million of them! But everyone gets a second chance. Malfoy got a chance to prove he is not his father. So how come I am the one being punished?? Am I not a human too?"

Lily's harsh gaze softened immeasurably. It was rather unnerving to see the usually arrogant, cool and calm Ryan Smith, breaking down so easily in front of her. She had expected him to have a heart of stone. But seeing an emotional outburst like that, made her empathize with him.

"They say people are ready to go any mile just to get what they crave for in their life. I just happen to love Rose more than anything in this world. And now with me being a father, I finally have what I have always wanted, a family with Rose. I'll quit Quidditch if that is a way to get them to be a part of my life."

Ryan sighed heavily, and ran a hand over his face tiredly. Lily sank back, as the realization hit her head like a bludger.

He did love Rose. He did want a family with her. And he was upset about not being able to play daddy to Amelia. It wasn't a ploy to get back at the Potter/Weasley clan. He was indeed in love with Rose.

Lily didn't know what to feel. Perhaps sympathy.

Ryan noticed the change in Lily's body language and narrowed his eyes.

"I don't need your sympathy, Potter. As much as I feel rather stupid for opening up in front of you, I think it's time for you to get out of my house. Out. _Now_."

Lily got up and walked towards him. Her hand twitched, wanting to place itself on his shoulder.

"I am sorry", she began softly, looking at him directly in the eye.

Ryan let out an unpleasant bark of laughter and then gave her an incredulous look.

"Your apology doesn't make a fucking difference. You aren't even involved in this story. So just leave."

Lily moved towards the door, extremely annoyed with his uncouth and non-chivalrous behaviour.

As soon as she reached the door, she turned to look at him and suppressed a sigh. His body language spoke volumes about how he was feeling currently. The slight arrogance he had shown when she first met him was absolutely gone. Instead she could see a tired, defeated man who was trying his best to survive.

"What are you looking at?" Ryan barked, when he felt Lily's eyes on him, "GET OUT!"

Lily squealed as an invisible force pushed her outside rather roughly, and the door closed with a bang.

"THIS IS NOT OVER!" came Lily's scream from the door, "I SWEAR IF I-"

"BUGGER OFF!" he shouted, and taking the nearest vase, he chucked it at the door where it shattered into pieces.

A minute later when it all seemed quiet, Ryan sighed, wondering if he should apologize to her. He shouldn't have asked her to leave. It felt nice to have someone other than Lysander or his team mates at his place. He really wasn't used to the feeling of living alone, even though he had been doing so for the past few months.

He bought this huge property just for Rose, hoping that they would have a lot of kids after they get married and then everyone would have enough space to reside in.

Something sank in him as his eyes went over the portrait of him with Rose. Just as much he loved looking at it for it reminded him of his wonderful life with Rose, it also reminded him of what he had lost. Just because of his stupid and immature decision, he lost the most wonderful thing that had ever happened to him ever since he was born.

He walked towards the portrait, looking at it hungrily, hoping desperately that he could turn back time so that he could have her back again, so that he could kiss her, make love to her, and tell her just how much he loved her and how he would never let go. He leaned his head against the wall, trying very hard to suppress the melancholy that arose within him.

Why had he ever acted so stupid?!

There was a loud persisting knock on the door again, distracting Ryan.

_That little minx!_

Clenching his teeth he moved forward, now getting ready to give the little Potter a glimpse of his angry form.

He pulled on the door knob and opened his mouth to shout at her.

But whatever he wanted to say died in his mouth, as his eyes locked with the eyes that had haunted every moment of his life ever since he left her. Merlin! She looked more beautiful every time he saw her.

He closed his mouth, realizing just how stupid he would be looking and rearranged his expression into a smug one, a far, far cry from the what was going on inside him.

"Welcome home, Rose."

**

* * *

****AN- ****I really am sorry for the late update. But I did put it in as soon as I got over with it. It is definitely not one of my best chapters. So do report any errors if you do see them. ****And do you guys know of any good Betas or would you like to apply for beta-ing this story, because editing takes a lot of time. If interested do let me know either through mail or through review! ****I know this chapter had a lot of Ryan, a guy most of you really despise, but he had to be brought in here. And Lily is not as evil as quite a lot of you had said! ****So is this what you would call a filler chapter? I really am new to writing fan-fics! :P ****Would love to hear a word on this chapter!!! (ie…REVIEW!!!) ****Other than that, how have you all been?? :) **


	15. Eclipse

**I finally saw the Half Blood Prince. I personally liked it a lot, especially the teenage hormonal moments. *Ron/Hermione rules***

**I hope all of you got the replies to the reviews..if not let me know.**

**Disclaimer:**** All recognizable characters belong to JKR. Copyright infringement not intended.**

**

* * *

****15. Eclipse**

"We need to talk"

If Ryan hadn't seen Rose's cherry-coloured lips move, he wouldn't have believed that she was actually here, forget her saying those words. He knew he was looking like an idiot, a smug expression plastered on his face that was now bordering on creepy.

"Ryan?" came her soft voice, giving him an adrenaline rush, making him feel lightheaded. His eyes went over her face, which seemed to have gotten back the glow he had last seen while she was dating him. Her eyes had its usual happy twinkle but seemed to be disappearing all of a sudden as her gaze turned harsher.

"Are you going to make me stand out here Ryan?" asked Rose, sounding annoyed, "I might as well go back no-"

Ryan moved away from the door instantly, making way for Rose so that she could come in. He tried his best to hide the grin that was beaming off his face. But he couldn't help it. Rose was finally home!

"So would you like anything to drink?" asked Ryan politely, not wanting to do anything that might scare her off such as kissing her, which he was very much tempted to do. He watched as Rose walked into the living room and seated herself.

Rose looked at him sharply, and squared her shoulders.

"I came here to talk to you," she said in a brisk tone, surprising him, "It would be better if we keep it short and simple."

Ryan nodded, eagerness filling him up to the brim. Rose was _here_, to talk to _him_! He wondered if Rose had changed her mind about getting back together with him. And suddenly his mind was filled with images of his life with Rose. He and Rose cozying up in front of the fire, while his kids played around. Them dropping their kids to King's Cross. Them getting dirty in the kitchen….

"I want you to stay away from my daughter."

And all of a sudden, they disappeared. All those moments.

Feeling as if a bucket of ice-cold water had been dumped on him, he stared at her, eyes wide open. He could not believe that she had actually said that. His insides twisted uncomfortably as he looked at the defiant look on Rose's face. She was actually serious. Feeling his insides crumble, he rearranged his facial expression into a sneer.

"I can't do that", said Ryan coldly, making Rose cringe, "You see she is my daughter as well."

"You're wrong. She is Scorpius' daughter."

"I think I can challenge that! I added it up and I got confirmation too."

Rose dropped her frosty demeanor and sighed, "Please Ryan. Don't-."

"Don't _what_? I missed almost two years of her life. And I don't intend to miss any more of her life. I-.", Ryan bent down on his knees, looked hopefully at Rose "I want to know her. Know her likes, dislikes, her fears. I want to hold her in my arms. Can't I even know my own daughter?"

Rose shook her head and said sadly, "I can't let you do that. This will kill Scorpius. He's her father-"

"DON'T KEEP SAYING THAT!" shouted Ryan, standing up again, "I can't believe you came here to tell me to stay away from our daughter. Really what is with the world today?"

Rose frowned. "Excuse me?"

"Never mind." said Ryan bitterly, "You can't stop me from seeing my own daughter. And I'll make sure of that."

Rose got up, her eyes blazing, "Do you mean to say that you'll try and take away my daughter away from me?"

"Is that what you had thought I'll do once I found out about Amelia?" asked Ryan frowning. Rose's eyes turned to the floor. Ryan's shoulders slumped, "I cannot believe that you even thought that! It would perhaps be the stupidest thing to do. Haven't I made it clear that I want to have a family with _you_? Why did you-? WHY?"

"I-I just thought so", said Rose, shrugging, "You have always wanted what you couldn't get, Ryan."

"But _this_ is something I can get, Rose" said Ryan earnestly, "We are in love. We have a daughter. Our lives are pretty much settled now. This is a perfect time to make commitment."

Rose narrowed her eyes, "Excuse me?!"

"I fully intend to marry you Rose. I thought you had figured that out."

Rose sighed heavily.

"And I thought that you had realized the fact that I am very well over you. I am very happily married to the man I love-."

"The man you love?? You are in love with the Death Eater?" spat Ryan in shock, "But-but you got married to him because he was your only-."

"The only man I have truly ever loved", said Rose, as she stood up, her eyes blazing with a passion that threw him off, "What he has done for me is something that no other man could ever do. He's been there with me through my darkest hours. Held me when I was about to break. Shared every truth in the world he knows with me. He's made me feel every emotion I ought to feel. And I am not talking about the time post-marriage. He's my best friend. He knows me better than I know myself. So don't you dare ask me how I fell for him!"

Ryan stared at her disbelievingly. Had she actually said that she was in love with Malfoy? How could it be possible when he could read the emotions towards him, so easily in her eyes? Who was she fooling?

There was only one way to find out whether she was serious or not.

He closed the distance between them and kissed her.

* * *

"Hey Lily", greeted Elora, as she opened the door to let Lily in.

"Hi" said Lily in a low tone as she entered the Malfoy household.

"Are you alright?" asked Elora, lines marring her forehead, "You look sort of ill."

Lily opened her mouth and then closed it. Really, what was she supposed to tell Elora? That Rose had dated _her_ ex-boyfriend, and then gotten pregnant with his kid, who was in fact known as the first ever female Malfoy to be born till now.

It wasn't her secret to tell.

"No. I'm fine. Just didn't get enough sleep. That's why I am late. You called for me? I'm sorry I read you letter so late."

Elora flapped her arms, "It is all right. I am just glad that you are here! I just received a floo call from Gringotts. Apparently the goblins decided to have a little fun and mess with accounts of those over the age of hundred and fifty. So I can't really take care of Amelia right now. Rose has already left for Mungo's. She left just about half an hour after…" She trailed off, her face falling.

"Are you okay?" asked Lily concernedly.

Elora breathed deeply and blinked furiously before muttering, "Get a grip. He'll be back soon."

Lily coughed to indicate her presence. Elora snapped to look at her.

"Right. So I checked with Silk Route and found out that you weren't there. I thought maybe you were taking a day off. Can you please take care of Amelia?"

Lily just shrugged.

"THANK YOU!!" squealed Elora before she picked up her hand bag, and walked off to apparate outside.

"LILEEEEE"

Lily turned around, startled by the noisy squeak. She saw Amelia hiding under one of the coffee tables, grinning wildly, flexing her fingers at her.

"Hey Amy," grinned Lily. She was one person who could make anyone smile. Even someone who is destined to depressed for the rest of their life, "What are you doing under the table?"

"Hiding from daddee..ssshhh!"

"Where is your daddy then?"

Amelia frowned and then gave a little shrug.

"All right you better come out from underneath that table. As much I don't doubt your mum's cleanliness habits, I don't think she'd prefer it if you are covered in dust."

Lily stretched her arms under the table and pulled out Amelia gently.

"Look at you all dusty and-."

Lily stopped suddenly as she realized that Amelia was holding lacy black knickers. _Rose's knickers_. Her face colouring, she tired to tug it out of Amy's hand, but the little girl was equally persistent.

"Give it here Amy."

"NO."

"Amy?"

"No."

"Come on Amy, give it to Aunt Lily and she will give you a _chocowate_"

Amelia's eyes started gleaming and she immediately let go of the knickers, giggling.

Lily flushed even more when she saw that the knickers were _torn _from the side. Trying to shut out the images coming to her mind giving her possible reasons to as why the knickers looked the way they did, she threw it in the waste bin. Rose would need to buy a fresh pair any way.

A burst of loud noise startled her. She turned to see Amelia giggling as she watched mobile creatures on television. A small smile broke on her face, as she saw joy light up Amelia's face. Her lips were upturned in a smirk very much like Scorpius' and her pale blue eyes sparkled with fascination as she watched animated humans talk to each other.

Suddenly she felt as if a dementor had swooped in and taken away all her happiness as she realized that was looking at _Ryan_'s daughter playing with her soft toy while her eyes were glued to the TV.

Amelia was Ryan's daughter. Not Scorpius' daughter.

It was just so hard to fathom. Anyone would be absurdly blind if they say that Scorpius doesn't treat Amelia like his own blood. Rose had complained countless number of times that Amelia would grow up into a female version of Scorpius. They even looked a lot alike. But then, she reasoned, Ryan did indeed look a lot similar to Scorpius. And children always picked up the mannerisms of their parents.

Lily went and sat next to the little girl. The little girl was so happy and carefree, blissful in her world that consisted of her loving family, cartoons, sleeping and her toys. Not at all aware of the things worsening around her.

Ryan's anguished face came to her mind and she shuddered. He had spoken with a passion that looked entirely foreign on him. His demeanor was quite heart-breaking for her. She couldn't believe that a man, who could perhaps define the word arrogance, had been reduced to a whimpering mass. She shuddered again as his words ran in her mind.

_Malfoy stole my woman and my daughter. So it is rather obvious that I am going to get them back._

Whatever has to happen, will happen, she thought as she ran a hand over the little girl's head.

_Unless_ if she can do something about it.

* * *

His pulse had soared like it used to before. His senses had been heightened. He was feeling light-headed after feeling those bloody lips against his after such a long time. Just like it used to before.

There was one major difference though.

There was no response from the person he was kissing.

In fact, she was still as a stone.

He pulled back and opened his eyes to see shocked eyes looking back at him.

"I cannot believe this", came Rose's cold voice, as she pushed him away from her, "After all that I told you about me being in love with someone else, I CANNOT believe that you kissed me!!!!!!!!!"

Ryan's eyes became wide as he saw Rose unearthing a wand form her robes and pointing it at his throat.

"When I was dating you back then, I was under the belief that you had changed", she said, her entire body shaking with rage, "I believed you weren't the selfish cad you were made out to be. But you proved me wrong then by breaking up with me to concentrate on Quidditch. Then when you came back and asked me to marry me, then again I had wondered if something had changed in you. But again you proved me wrong. You're still selfish, still self-centered, still gullible enough to believe that the entire world would do as you please. But you know what, you need to WAKE UP!! Get up and realize that you blew away whatever you had with me. You broke my heart and my trust. And now I am happily settled with my husband and my child. If you were even a little sincere about how you felt about me, perhaps you would allow me to live happily. But if you intend to try and interfere, let me tell you that Scorpius and I will not hesitate in fighting against you. And _we won't let you win_."

Ryan felt a severe chill run down his spine as he observed Rose's erect posture and darkened expression, as if ready to duel with him or even kill him.

But then miraculously, she lowered her wand and looked at him sadly.

"Please", she whispered desperately, "I really don't want to hurt you. As much as you broke me when you left, I still cherish those moments we spent together. I got to know a wonderful man, or rather a man who could be wonderful, only if he wanted. Even though whatever you did was downright lowly, but I respected you, and I still respect you for the human being you are. So please don't prove me wrong again. Please promise me that you won't meddle in my life again. Please?"

Ryan felt his heart being pierced as he watched Rose plead in front him, asking him to give what she wanted. A dull pain throbbed inside him as he realized that he was responsible for those tears, the pain visible in those eyes he dearly loved. Oh how much he wanted to be the one to wipe her tears away. But then that involved a major sacrifice on his behalf. Did he love Rose enough to be able to let her go? Was he strong enough to see and feel his heart shatter and yet be able to see Rose and his daughter be happy with some other man? Did his feelings towards Rose matter to him more than Rose's feelings towards him?

"Okay." Came the reply from his mouth, that surprised both himself and Rose.

"What?" came Rose's shocked voice.

"I won't interrupt", he said, meeting her eyes that now glimmered with hope.

"Really?"

"Yeah", sighed Ryan heavily. He himself couldn't believe that he was doing it, but then it made Rose happy….

There was a thick silence that penetrated the air

"All right. I know I am asking-."

"_Please_", pleaded Ryan hoarsely, turning away as he felt his bottom disappear. He was going to let her go. Something stung inside and he wanted to crawl in a hole and cry, "Don't make it harder for me. If you are done, then please leave."

"Okay."

He heard Rose moving towards the door, and sighed heavily. He knew he was going to regret doing what he was doing. He hoped he would be able to forgive himself with time.

"Rose?" he called turning around to see her halfway out the door.

"Hmm?" she looked back at him with slightly raised eyebrows.

"Amelia is _beautiful_."

Rose's lips showed signs of a small smile. "She is, isn't she?" she said softly.

"Just like her mother."

Rose lowered her eyes and to Ryan's great surprise, her cheeks turned a bright shade of red. He was glad to see that wonderful trait of hers again, even if for the last time.

"And do you think we could ever be friends?" asked Ryan hopefully, noticing that Rose's eyes had snapped back to him on the mention of the word 'friends', "What we had was really special. You very well know that we connected emotionally as well. I really dont want to lose you. Could we possibly still stay in touch? _Please_?"

Rose sighed heavily, "I don't know. I am sorry. I wi-."

"No hard feelings", interrupted Ryan, his face falling. No Rose in his life _at all_? How on earth was he supposed to survive? "Bye."

"Take care", she said, her expression now neutral, but her tender voice gave her away, that even though she didn't love him, she did care about him.

"You too."

And then she left.

Ryan sank to the floor, and for the first time ever since he was born, he buried his head in his arms and cried.

* * *

Ryan groaned as he felt as if someboy had rammed an iron rod on to his forehead. Lysander was right about firewhisky. It did make him want to want chop his head in two. But then after what he did today in the afternoon, he believed he actually wouldn't mind doing that.

He had let her go. And it fucking _hurt_.

He breathed heavily as memories of his first night with Rose flooded his mind. He had been rather reluctant to go to a muggle pub that night, but his mates kidnapped him anyway. He had been moving around in the crowd, trying to avoid various half-drunk bimbos throwing themselves at him, when he saw _her_. She was sitting alone at the bar, looking rather depressed but extremely gorgeous. He had stifled a groan as his eyes roamed over her soft locks pulled up, exposing her delicate neck and the short blue dress that accentuated her cleavage. Her dress had ridden high and was pretty much exposing her thighs, but she hadn't noticed since she was busy stating at her drink with an angry expression.

He remembered how he had approached her and how she had been rather cold towards him in the beginning. He had accused her of judging people by their past, which she had denied vehemently. With each passing drink, her defenses had become lower, and soon she was talking openly to him. She had told him that she was pretty upset for Malfoy was supposed to meet her at the pub, but he cancelled his plans with her at the last moment so that he could shag a random bimbo he had met at the Ministry.

He remembered how she had whined that she would skin Malfoy's arse for blowing her off, his _best friend_, so suddenly, and again went into depression. Wanting to see a livelier and a happier Rose, he had given her an invitation to dance with him, which she had accepted with a shrug. Soon she started laughing and dancing with him and he watched her, mesmerized with her movement on the dance floor and how breathtaking she looked when she was in her own world. And all of a sudden he had gotten an urge to kiss her, which he did. Instead of killing him on the spot, she deepened the kiss, blowing him away.

She had then pulled back from the intense snog and whispered seductively in his ears.

_"My place or yours?"_

And life as he had known it, had changed.

And the next few hours, days, weeks, months were a blur. It was one large roller coaster ride. A ride he enjoyed thoroughly, but was stupid enough to stop it and get off it, not realizing that he won't get to ride again.

He picked himself up from the sofa and called for his house-elf.

"Silky. Some hangover potion please!" he croaked, rubbing his palm against his forehead.

"Master should not drink firewhisky", said his elf sadly as she handed him a goblet of smoking potion, "It is not good for you."

"I'll try", he said gruffly, before downing the entire thing at one-go.

Just then someone knocked on the door and Silky tottered away to see who it was.

Ryan sighed. He figured it would be Lysander or one of his teammates since he was sure that it couldn't be Rose. He checked the clock. It was five in the evening, which surprised him. The showdown with Rose had seemed to have taken place in another time dimension, and not three hours ago.

"Master Ryan? Miss Rose Weasley is here", squeaked the house-elf.

Ryan started for a second, before he realized that Rose would never come back to him. So it was most likely to be Lily Potter. Getting up from his seat, he walked towards the door, ready to tell Potter that he wasn't in the mood to gossip.

However he froze as his eyes landed on the doorway.

It was Lily Potter all right. But she was holding something in her arms. Or rather _someone_.

He felt air escape his lungs as he saw his own daughter look back at him.

"Good evening, Ryan", said Lily smoothly, "Amelia and I were quite bored at home, so we thought we should go outside from some fresh air."

Ryan couldn't help but not respond. He was too busy looking at the little girl in Lily's arms. He opened his mouth and tried to say something, but no sound came out. He was just too stumped.

_Am I dreaming?_

Amelia fidgeted in her aunt's arms before she was put down. She walked into the manor, looking around, curiosity etched on her face. Before he knew it, she was right in front of him and looking up at him.

Ryan instinctively took a step backwards, too much in disbelief. Grief must have driven him mad. Amelia couldn't possibly be here!?

"Amelia doesn't like it if people ignore her. At least say hi", came Lily's voice, startling Ryan.

"Wha-wha-what", started Ryan nervously, as he watched Amelia walk away from him towards the sofa, "What shall I say to her?"

"Master?" came his elf's squeaky voice, "Shall Silky make something for guests?"

Ryan's head snapped to look at his elf, "Oh yes! Absolutely. Maybe some tea. And what would Am-Amelia like?"

"I think she would like some warm chocolate. I had promised her that I would give her some…."

Lily felt a smile break on her face as she watched Ryan observing his daughter's mannerisms, who had now managed to climb the sofa and now was walking on it. The curious expression on his face he observed his daughter, made him look adorable.

_EXCUSE ME? ADORABLE?_

Lily shook herself, wondering just why that thought came to her mind. She watched as Ryan tried to go closer to Amelia, looking extremely unsure so as to how to talk to her.

Amelia started jumping on the sofa and clapped her hands, giggling loudly. Lily gasped inaudibly as she saw a true, genuine smile break on Ryan's face. His gaze was extremely soft as he looked at the little girl squealing with happiness.

But then Amelia lost her balance and shrieked loudly as she went down. Lily had rushed from her place to try and undo some damage, but thankfully Ryan caught her. She snorted loudly as she saw Ryan holding Amelia away from his body.

"What?!" hissed Ryan at Lily, while continuing to hold Amelia away from him.

"You're holding her wrong", giggled Lily, "Hold her like you'd hold a quaffle."

"This is how I hold a quaffle."

"Really? I thought you were a Professional Keeper!"

Ryan struggled as Amelia fidgeted in his arms, wondering if he might actually end up dropping her. She made odd noises if she felt uncomfortable giving him the cue to change his position. And then all of a sudden, she _fit_.

Amelia had now quieted down and was smiling up at him, giving him a glimpse of neat set of baby teeth. He looked down at her, amazed at how beautiful can an infant look. Now that he looked at Amelia closely, he saw that she resembled Rose greatly. She had the same heart-shaped face, tiny freckles on the bridge of her nose, and big eyes. His heart have a jolt when he saw that she had inherited his eyes, and even though her features were pretty similar to Rose's, her features were sharp but not too sharp that it sticks out. Just like his.

"Am I holding her right?" asked Ryan softly, offering Amelia his finger to play with. Amelia instead took it in her mouth and bit it, making him smile and her giggle.

"It's perfect", said Lily, smiling widely now as she watched the pair of father and daughter interacting with each other for the first time. When she was at Rose's, all alone with Amelia, she had wondered if it was fair that Rose and Scorpius wanted to keep Ryan away from Amelia when it was pretty clear that Ryan sincerely wanted to be a part of Amelia's life. Ryan really hadn't done anything wrong. If Rose would have told him that she was pregnant then he perhaps wouldn't have broken up with her. He needed to see his own flesh, his own blood. Would it be immoral if he is allowed to see his own daughter?

Contentment crept in her heart as she saw Ryan looking at Amelia with certain softness in his eyes that convinced her that he loved his daughter, irrespective of the fact that he had truly just met her. Silky soon appeared with the tray of tea and chocolate and the three of them settled down. Lily watched quietly as Ryan talked to Amelia and the little girl replied very enthusiastically while having her bottle of chocolate milk. Delight shone on his face as he fed Amelia a cookie, making him look rather handsome. Suddenly, he turned to look at her about to say something. As a reflex, she lowered her eyes, without really knowing why she reacted the way she did.

Her watch started beeping loudly, alerting her. She jumped up immediately surprising Ryan.

"I am sorry. But we have to leave", said Lily hurriedly, moving towards Ryan, "Rose's shift is going to over within an hour. And we have travel back home the muggle way."

"Oh", said Ryan, disappointment flooding him as he reluctantly handed over his daughter to Lily, "All right."

"I wish I could stay longer but…."

"It is understandable."

Lily nodded.

"And hey, thanks a lot", said Ryan, running a hand through his hair and smiling genuinely at her, "This was amazing. I mean-." He looked at Amelia, who was now fiddling with Lily's ear, "She's amazing. It meant a lot to me."

"You are welc-."

"Can you bring her again? Sometime later perhaps?"

The words had come out before he could realize what he had said. By asking Lily to bring Amelia over, wouldn't he be breaking the promise he made to Rose? But then Rose had told him to not interfere in _her_ life, right? As long as Rose never knows about him meeting his daughter, it wouldn't be called interference and hence he won't be breaking his promise.

Lily looked uncertain, "I really don't know. I am quite busy…"

"Please", he begged softly, "Just bring her over any time you are free. I want to know everything about her. Please do try and come."

He gently held her hand, making Lily flush furiously.

"I'll try", said Lily, grinning shyly at him. She could see the glimmer of hope in his eyes. And knowing that she could bring him some sort of happiness made her feel powerful. One of the rare moments when she could actually make Ryan happy, something Rose was incapable of now.

Ryan nodded, grinning at her, making Lily blush again.

"I better get going", she said awkwardly, not at all pleased with the drastic effect the guy was having on her.

"All right. Feel free to drop by any time. Bye Amy", he said, feeling happier than he had in the past few days.

"Bysie Bye!" chirped Amelia, waving her chubby hands at him.

Ryan watched Lily and Amelia walk down the pebbled path, his eyes more fixated on the little bundle in Lily's arms. The little one was very good at making him smile and laugh, especially since today was about to be crowned the worst day of his life. Her laughter was infectious, she was beautiful and he couldn't believe how much he already loved her. And he had just met her. Merlin! He couldn't believe that he was missing her _already_.

_"The most amazing feeling wells up in you when you hold your own child for the first time in your arms. The way they look at you or smile at you, or reach out for you for the first time; the emotion that you can feel then shake you immensely."_

Ryan painfully recollected what Rose had said to him years ago. At that time, he had found her description rather funny. But now, he understood why she had said those words. It was really an amazing feeling to hold Amelia in his arms, seeing her smile at him, making him feel that yes, he had finally done something right in his life.

Seeing his baby woke something in him. Something rather fierce. He needed that little girl in his life. He _had_ to fight for her.

And he would.

Rose and Malfoy weren't the only ones ready to fight.

_Now_, he was ready as well.

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**AN:**

**So Little Amy's finally met her father!!! And you thought I would make Ryan disappear after Rose told him to buzz off!** **Sincere apologies to 'prongsie4ever' if you found this chapter too short for your liking. I tried to make it long. But the place at which I finished seemed perfect for the ending of a chapter.****Title/chapter doesn't have to do anything with the Twilight series. Just thought it described Ryan's day. Well yeah, I am crazy. ****Anyway, please review! It would be very discouraging if you don't. And let's pretty please try and push the review count beyond 300, shall we? :)**

**PS: I've put up a newer version of my first one-shot, Hugo Weasley Is….. It is slightly racier than the previous version with minute additions here and there. But basic plotline's the same**


	16. Here Without You

**When the review count goes down, so does the morale and the enthusiasm of the author to write the next chapter! Am I going wrong anywhere??**

**Anyway, the sequel to **_**Forget Hugo! What about Ron Weasley?**_** is up! Just wanted to inform those who were waiting for the it.**

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**Disclaimer: ****All recognizable characters belong to JKR. No copyright infringement intended. **

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**12. Here Without You**

"This dress itches."

"Shut up!"

"Honestly, why was I made to dress up as a woman?"

"Because you are the most feminine looking of the lot!"

"Just because, I am the fairest of you all-"

"You are _bloodless_, Scorpius!"

"But if you haven't noticed, I am taller than you, Teddy and Chris."

"We thought you'd fit the bill of a tall, graceful, voluptuous French bimbo."

"Voluptuous, my arse", hissed Scorpius, running a hand through his now waist length silver locks, "Why again did I agree to the padding?"

"Because that was the only other option. You refused to grow any breasts, since you were worried that they might not disappear later. You should call yourself lucky", hissed Albus, as he nervously straightened his handlebar moustache, "My moustache is very irritating. I really want to either remove it or keep scratching my mouth. I obviously can't do the first one. Doing the second one might make people believe that I am trying to pick my nose but since I've been caught, I am scratching my nose to lead them astray. It is also sort of distracting me from keeping an eye on everyone."

Scorpius' eyes darted around sharply, taking in their surroundings. The little muggle café they were currently seated in was filled with families, couples, and businessmen having a quick snack before they are off to do the rest of the day's work. Since the two of them were sitting on a table right next to the huge glass window, they got a good view of the street in front of the café. Teddy was under Harry's Invisibility cloak, roaming the streets. Ron was dressed up as an old man and sitting on a bench opposite their café. Scorpius caught Ron's eye. The redhead gave him the tiniest shake of a head, making the blonde sigh.

It had been over two weeks ever since they arrived in France, and they hadn't managed to get much lead on the killer for there had been no kidnappings in the past few days. Scorpius had hoped that the mission would be some sort of an adventure, involving thrilling chases and duels that would leave him breathless. But till yesterday, the mission had been duller than Rose's ramblings on how to ensure that house-elves are treated well.

And that was saying something.

But then last night, a report had come that a muggle born witch had been attacked in this area, but had managed to escape when few muggles had spotted the ongoing battle. The muggles were questioned by the Aurors and had their memory completely erased before they could ramble on to others, about how they saw people in weird clothes shoot _laser beams_ at each other.

The muggle-born was recovering in the hospital, but she had managed to let the Aurors know that there were four people, and from the way the killers were interacting with each other, more of them existed. So therefore on a bright sunny afternoon in late November, Aurors, Healers and Trackers in disguise had flooded the town of Auxerre, and the area outside that, ready for another attack. They were sure that the killers would come back, because the town held the maximum population of muggle-born witches and wizards in France.

Scorpius sighed again and rested against his chair. His lips twitched into a smirk as he saw Albus struggling with his moustache. Albus was dressed as an influential and powerful man touching fifties. His look was complete with a handlebar moustache, (charmed) oily brown hair, slicked back, round spectacles, and a very visible paunch. Scorpius on the other hand was dressed as Albus' mistress. His hair had been charmed to grow longer and his robes had been turned into a full length navy blue dress that accentuated his 'cleavage' and other 'curves'.

The dress was slightly thick and covered most of his body, making him feel extremely warm. He looked around, hoping that the killers would turn up soon so that he could finally get out of his dress.

Scorpius shuddered as he saw a group of men two tables away, leering at him. He felt particularly revolted when he saw their gazes fall to his chest and then smirking at each other. Scorpius looked down, worried that they had realized that he was wearing fake padding. He turned to look back at the men, who were now winking at him.

"Bloody hell!" hissed Scorpius, pinching Albus furtively, "Those men can't really stop ogling at me!"

Albus smirked, "Well well well! Aren't you a dish?"

"It is not funny!"

"They are men, Scorpius, just like we are. They would ogle at anything with a rather curvy body."

"Still! Why do they have to stare at me like that? By the look of rings on fingers of two of them, they are _married_."

"So you mean to say that you have _never_ really checked a girl out when in a relationship?", asked Albus incredulously, the bewildered look on his face making him look comical.

Scorpius scratched his nose, "Not really. You mean to say you have??"

"Only the _really_ hot ones. It is only natural. You of all people definitely had a knack of checking out girls while you were in relationships before Rose happened."

"Oh really? Was I that dissatisfied with my ex-girlfriends to have to resort to ogling at other girls? Care to enlighten me?"

Albus smirked again, "I pretty much recall you checking Rose out for the first time you realized she was a girl. And you were clearly not over Melissa by then."

"Hey!" hissed Scorpius indignantly, "I was just noticing the changes-."

"Or the other time when you went on a double date with her and Joseph Finnegan-oh wait-triple date, since I was also there. You certainly were paying more attention to Rose than you were paying to your date-."

"I was just-."

"Or maybe that other time when all of us went out to celebrate graduation. You were snogging this girl on the dance floor, but the moment any guy sat next to Rose or talking to her, you were beside her in an instant!!"

"Just because you were too busy snogging Elora to actually protect Rose from those hooligans-."

"Or that other time when you saw Rose-."

"Alright fine. Maybe I did check Rose out all the time. You do realize that the girl I checked out every time I was dating someone else is now my _wife_?", whispered Scorpius, glaring at the men who were now making suggestive gestures at him, "Why _those bloody bastards_.."

"Good point," said Albus, his eyes darting to the bar, where Chris was sitting with a newspaper in his hand, "I just find it so ridiculous that you guys took so much time to get together, even though you guys were damn obvious ever since you met! Sometimes you guys acted like you two were the only people in the world."

Scorpius raised his eyebrows, "This is coming from the man who lost fifty galleons to his own brother over us getting together."

Albus suddenly looked sheepish, "Well I had bet that you would get together later. But James had said that you guys were already together but were keeping it from us. That is why he won. Honestly Scorpius, till now I hadn't figured out why you never told me about it. Do you think I would have ratted you out if you wanted to keep it a secret?"

Scorpius sighed and looked outside the café again, "It's not that Al…"

"Then what is it? All this time, I have been getting this feeling that I am being kept in the dark about something. Do you have anything to tell me?"

Scorpius looked at Albus, who was looking at him inquisitively over his round specs.

Should he tell Albus the truth about Amelia, about his and Rose's sudden marriage?

_No._

_Not until Rose wants to. _

Scorpius opened his mouth to give his response, but then frowned when he saw the expression on Albus' face change to something that of shock.

"Is that Elora?" he breathed, rubbing his eyes.

Scorpius turned around instantly, cricking his neck. The woman standing behind him bore striking resemblance to Albus' wife. Waist length blonde hair, chubby face and sparkling brown eyes. And a swollen belly. Her husband soon appeared by her side, along with a two large cups of tea. They settled down at the table adjacent to Albus and Scorpius. Scorpius turned to look at Albus and was a little surprised to see the hard look on Albus' face.

"Hey! You've got to stop staring", whispered Scorpius, patting his arm.

Albus sighed and leaned back against his chair, and looked outside the window.

"Worried about her?"

"I'm terrified, you know?", said Albus somberly, "I mean I know what I had signed up for. But then I don't know how she is doing. And that scares me. I had been monitoring everything since she got pregnant, and then all of a sudden, I have no idea! There was a reason my dad didn't want me to go on this mission. He too was out on a voluntary mission when mum was pregnant with James. And he didn't come back till James was a month old. He still regrets it to date. And that's why he didn't want me to leave Elora while she was in this condition. What if she goes into labour and I am not there? What if something happens to her while I am here? Or worse, what if she gets a miscarriage or something? There were times when I wished she weren't around to annoy the hell out of me. But now I cannot even think reasonably knowing that she isn't around. All I want to do is get back home and see her again. Do you have any idea when this entire mess would be over?"

Scorpius breathed deeply.

"Honestly speaking Al, I have no idea. Whatever has happened till now is something I know I wouldn't have been able to predict even if I had been asked two weeks ago. I hadn't expected it to be so boring, and I certainly hadn't anticipated myself in a dress. Whatever has to happen, will happen. But for the time being, stop being an emotional sod. It freaks the hell out of me."

"This is coming from the man who was almost in tears when he was turned down the first time."

"I was fifteen!"

"So? Men tend to grow more sensitive with age. Which basically implies that you are more of an emotional sod than I am."

"No I'm not!"

"Since you define an emotional sod as someone remembering his wife, you would perhaps define the words 'emotional sod'."

Scorpius turned the slightest shade of pink, before shrugging and making Albus chuckle.

There was no point in denying the fact he was missing Rose.

_Understatement of the millennium._

He was practically dying here without her. He hadn't known that living away from Rose would be so difficult. Especially after Hogwarts, he had at most gone without seeing her for a month, especially when he had gone to Texas for his Auror Training. But they had kept in touch over letters and fellytone. But for the past two weeks, he hadn't heard from her at all, and it was eating him from inside. Maybe it might have been slightly better if Rose hadn't reciprocated his feelings. But she did feel the same way. And since he had just managed to get a taste of what a _proper_ married life with Rose could be like, it made things a million times worse.

He couldn't help but wonder how cruel destiny was. He had finally gotten the most amazing thing that had ever happened to him, but he had to leave it as soon he had gotten it.

He knew he had a job to do, but that didn't stop his mind from wandering to thoughts of Rose at the oddest of times. At nights, he wondered if she was wearing that _wicked_ dark blue night gown of hers, sleeping in his -no- _their_ room, and thinking of him. He wondered if Amy had been co-operative when it came to food. He wondered how the two of them were coping without him, for he was failing miserably.

His eyes landed on a red-haired woman sitting a few tables away from him. He couldn't help but compare how Rose's hair was a vibrant shade of red, the perfect Weasley colour, whereas the woman's was a light red. He had absolutely adored her hair, even though her hair was something she complained about till date. He loved her eyes. And her freckles. And the way she blushed unnecessarily. And her slightly deep voice that was extremely soothing to his ears. And her smile. And her bloody fantastic lips. Her body. And the way she felt underneath him. And the way she arched against him as she came. And the throaty rasp of his name, the gasp filled with painfully obvious lust, that makes him lose all the restraint in him and literarily attack her till she screams his name…

_Oh dear Merlin! This can't be happening!_

Scorpius shook himself vigourously, drawing Albus' confused stare. Trying to calm himself, he imagined Ron's expression on catching the two of them at it, and thankfully it worked immensely. He breathed heavily and fiddled with his dress, making sure his _wand_ didn't stick out.

He looked outside the window again, observing the people walking past the café. Yawning in the most unladylike manner, he turned to Albus, who had his eyes narrowed and was staring at something across the street. Scorpius followed Albus' line of sight and found out that he was staring at a figure a few meters behind where Ron was sitting.

"That man has been standing there for a long time. And he is _unusually still_.", hissed Albus, lowering his specs. Scorpius stared at the man, who was dressed in a long brown overcoat and was wearing a hat, which covered most of his face. He was leaning against the wall rather casually. Albus nodded towards Chris who immediately hopped off the barstool and walked outside. They themselves got up, and started walking towards the exit. As they passed the group with the leering men, who were still looking at Scorpius with lust-filled eyes, Scorpius whispered an incantation and was very pleased to hear a loud 'ow' from all of them a nanosecond later. Scorpius squinted against the bright sunlight as he stepped out, and saw Chris and Ron approach the still looking man. With bated breath, Scorpius waited for something to happen, his wand already at the ready.

A glint of red caught Scorpius' eye. He turned to see the red-headed woman leave the café. He turned back to look at Ron and Chris, who were now right next to the mysterious man. Chris touched the man, and as if in slow motion, the man fell down on to the concrete. And didn't move again. Chris and Ron exchanged horrified glances with each other as they now saw the slightly decayed face of the man lying on the ground.

"Bollocks!" muttered an aghast Albus watching the crowd mill around the dead man, while Chris and Ron moved away instantly, their eyes searching for the culprit, "They know we're here!"

"Oh yes we do", came a cold voice close to them.

Scorpius had merely turned around when he felt himself being picked up and thrown violently against the glass window of the café. The people inside the café screamed and scattered as the window shattered with an ear-deafening noise, and Scorpius flew inside and landed soundly on the floor after overturning a table. Black spots bursting in front of eyes, Scorpius shook his head violently and groaned as a sharp pain erupted in his arm. He blinked furiously to see a glass piece protruding out of his right forearm, the sleeve now turning black as blood stained it. Pulling it out quickly, he growled, "Everyone in the corner. NOW!"

Terrified muggles listened to him and crowded at the bar, each trying to hide themselves more effectively. Scorpius found his wand and swished it quickly. The tables flew towards the muggles and arranged themselves such that they formed a wall between them and Scorpius. Limping, he walked to the door of the damaged café to see multiple duels being held, spells flying here and there and damaging the property.

"SCORPIUS DUCK!"

He fell to the ground without any second thought and a split second later he saw green light pass over his head and hit a dustbin, making it explode.

"STUPEFY!" Scorpius roared in the direction from which the green light came, and was satisfied to see a body crumble to the ground. He was shocked to see the same red-head from the café, on the ground with her wand clutched tightly in her hand. He got to his feet and waved his wand over the unconscious figure conjuring an invisible shield, making sure no one would be able to penetrate the invisible barrier around her, thereby making sure she is caught alive.

Ducking another spell that came his way, he squinted, trying to figure out Albus' whereabouts. To his horror, he saw that the Aurors were _outnumbered_. Either there were too many murderers or the other Aurors had been taken care of, he shuddered. What if Albus-?

He winced as the severe cut in his arm burned. He muttered a spell that sewed the torn skin. He waved a wand over himself, his dress becoming the dark navy blue robes he was wearing and his hair going back into his skull to its regular size.

He again ducked out of the way as a body came flying towards him.

"GET YOUR ARSE HERE SCORPIUS!" came the truly familiar voice that offered him a relief he hadn't felt ever before. He looked in the direction of the voice to see Albus dueling against three masked people while trying to protect a bunch of petrified little children from getting hurt. He moved towards them, determined to finish this bloody war that had _now_ truly began.

* * *

_Her heart pounded in her chest as she felt his mouth going up her neck, his gentle fingers grazing her hip. Her fingers dug in his bare shoulders, her nails marking him as his tongue now moved over her earlobe. She gasped as he pulled her slightly away from the bathroom wall they both were using as a support. She tightened the grip of her legs around his waist and hissed silently as his fingers dug in her thighs and pulled her closer if possible. She shivered as his fingers now ran up her spine, sparks bursting on her skin as he touched her. She giggled silently as she felt him struggle with the clasp of her bra._

_"What's so funny?" he whispered against her cheek, placing feather light kisses on it and then moving to her lips._

_"Never thought I would see you struggling with a bra", she whispered, playfully nipping at his earlobe, while her fingers traced his strong jaw line._

_"Well this one's a toughie" he said huskily, kissing her nose._

_"Tch Tch Malfoy. I am disappointed", she whispered, trying her best to sound disappointed but a whimper escaped her mouth as he lightly traced her lips with his tongue and then kissed her soundly. She tried her best to not moan loudly into his mouth as he pushed her up roughly against the wall and grounded his hips against hers, all the while running his hands feverishly on her bare skin. The domineering movement of his hips along with the ferocious kiss and demanding yet gentle grip he had over her, almost sent her over the edge. Her entire body was on fire and his actions were acting like its fuel, leaving her breathless and asking for more of it._

_However, much to her annoyance, he suddenly stopped the motion and he whispered seductively in her ear, "So you were saying something, Rose."_

_"That was unfair!" she murmured incoherently as his lips traveled downwards to her chest, "Just -OH-oh sweet lord- because you can't take off my bra, you try and tease-"_

_Her sentence however remained incomplete as she heard a loud rip. She nudged him away in shock._

_"Scorpius Malfoy!" she screeched playfully, as she felt Scorpius pulling her bra -now two- away from her body, "You were supposed to take it off, not tear it apart."_

_She wondered if he was discouraged by her scolding, given by the fact that he had now moved away from her. _

_He however hadn't paid the slightest attention to what she was saying. His mouth was slightly open as he stared at her chest, the torn bra in his hand._

_All of a sudden, insecurity flooded her. She knew that Scorpius had dated a lot of women who were unfairly gifted; he always told her what he really liked in every woman he had dated._

_And she had always been content with what she had. She never believed that her assets were unbelievably eye-catching. But she was happy. _

_But for the first time in a long time, she was extremely apprehensive about how she looked._

_She was getting a strong urge to cover herself, mainly because Scorpius was staring at her. Maybe he didn't like what he saw. His eyes finally met hers, and felt an explosion take place in the pit of her stomach as she saw his beautiful eyes darkening, looking almost grey._

_"Beautiful", he groaned, before he tossed the torn bra outside, swept her in his arms, crushed her bare chest against his and kissed her savagely, bruising her lips. But she didn't care. _

_He had called her beautiful. Now nothing mattered._

_The way he was kissing her, the way he groaned into her mouth as she pressed her body tightly against his, the way he was holding her, made her aware of the power she had over him right now. And she intended to take full advantage of it._

_Before she knew it, she was under the shower, warm water making its way down her body. _

_But the heat she felt had to do nothing with the water._

_Both groaned soundly as he met her and moved to a rhythm so foreign yet so natural. Her hands ran up his wet chest, her entire body trembling as blinding sensations wracked her body. Her breathing became extremely laboured as their mouths met again and again. Soon enough, her eyes rolled back into her head, her entire world falling apart. She had barely managed to just gasp his name before she arched against him and her entire world turned black._

_"Merlin Rose, I-", came Scorpius' strangled whisper a second later, before he leaned his forehead against hers and breathed heavily, his hot breath tickling her lips._

_She felt his heartbeat against her chest and was overwhelmed to know that his pulse matched hers. She almost burst into tears as the enormity of what had happened crashed on her. She instantly closed her eyes, feeling the warm shower droplets hit her eyelids._

_She had waited for this moment for so long. Almost half her life. And it finally happened. And it wasn't as if they were both drunk; both were fully aware of the new step they had taken. She had shared this wonderful, sensual moment with the only man she's ever loved. She knew that this moment meant a lot more to her than Scorpius knew. Having him hold her and watch her like she's the most precious thing to him in the world, filled her with a mixed feeling of happiness, sadness and the tiny bit of hope that he might just-_

_Tears escaped her eyes. But she didn't bother to stop them, knowing very well that the shower would drown her tears and not let Scorpius know about them. _

_But clearly, he knew her way better than she gave him credit. He started placing light kisses next to her eyes, kissing the tears away._

_"Did I hurt you?" came his somber voice. Her eyes snapped open to meet his, which were filled with concern. He gently ran the back of his hand against her cheek, making her sigh. He was just so incredible. He could be demanding, rough and raw but then a second later, gentle and loving. He literarily made her melt from inside. It didn't help that while he was extremely attractive when dry, a wet, naked Scorpius Malfoy was a lot sexier._

_She could already feel hormones going haywire again. God save her._

_"Tell me Rose, did I-did I do something wrong? Did I hurt you?"_

_Rose just shook her head, not wanting him to know just why exactly she cried. She gently kissed him letting him know that she was just fine. _

_"Or are you still ruing the fact that I tore your bra?", he asked, a handsome smirk growing on his face. His eyes bore into hers as she felt his right hand going up her torso, and felt desire flare in her yet again._

_"It was a new one", she murmured as she kissed the side of his jaw, her hands now entangling themselves in his wet hair._

_"I'll buy you more", he whispered softly before kissing her passionately. His hand now brushed against her breasts enticingly, making her moan appreciatively against his mouth, and press her heels into his hips, pulling him closer and making him hiss loudly._

_"Or may be not", he growled before literarily plundering her mouth, and lowering his hands again-_

"Rose! Are you okay in there??"

Rose's eyes snapped open as she heard Elora's concerned voice from a distance. She blinked furiously to see that she was standing in the shower and leaning against the tiled wall. The water going down her body had now become cold. She tried to move and groaned loudly, as she felt needles pierce her entire body. Her limbs had become numb. How long was she in here anyway?

"You've been in there for over an hour! Do you want me to come in??" came Elora's voice again from outside the bathroom door, answering her query.

"I'm fine.", croaked Rose, finally regaining the feel of her limbs, "I'll be out soon."

"Alright. Just wanted you to know that the dinner's been made. And since Amy's getting fidgety, so can I feed her?"

"Go ahead. I'll take time", said Rose, turning off the shower and slowly moving out to grab a towel.

Wrapping herself in it, she moved to the mirror to examine herself. She wasn't surprised to see a bluish tinge to her skin. She had been in the shower for a long time after all. Neither was she surprised to see her red puffy eyes. It was a common occurrence after all.

She slowly dressed herself, taking her own time, ignoring the sinking feeling in her.

Euphoria over Scorpius reciprocating her feelings had barely lasted two days. It was hard, passing his bedroom and finding the bed unoccupied, everything in place, just as it had been before he left. She had resorted to sleeping in his room. To be able to keep Elora in dark was just one of the reasons.

It had been really difficult for her to be in the house without Scorpius, knowing that they had shared this place for very well over two years. Over those two years, she had grown accustomed to greeting him with a peck on the cheek when he came back from work. Or when it was her turn to work late, he would stay up and prepare dinner for her. Those late night talks on the balcony when neither of them felt like sleeping, or at times when they played chess but never reached a result mainly because they both were equally good at it or just sitting in front of the fire with Amelia, talking about what had happened at work. They might have been small as compared to the latest developments in her relationship with Scorpius, but these were the little moments that made her life a lot more worth living.

She dreaded going back home from Mungo's for she knew that there won't be any Scorpius waiting for her at home, or there won't be any Scorpius to welcome.

It is not that she didn't like Elora. Elora was the closest friend she had outside the Weasley-Potter clan. She, the Scamander twins, Elora, Albus had practically grown up together. They had always been great friends, and she knew they would always be.

But the fact was that she wasn't Scorpius. And that made all the difference in the world.

That is why she stayed in his room, hoping that it would make her feel more at ease. The shower in his bathroom helped her relive the first time they made love. Lying in his bed helped her imagine that he was lying next to her, arm around her waist. It made her ache, her wait for him a little more bearable.

More than the missing part, it was the ache of the wait for him that struck her more. Especially after telling Ryan to stay away from her, she couldn't wait to begin the perfect married life with Scorpius she had always dreamt of.

_Ryan…_

Her stomach gave a guilty twinge as she remembered her visiting Ryan. She knew Scorpius had forbidden her from meeting her ex-boyfriend. But she knew she _had_ to meet him and set things straight from something bad could happen. She had to make him understand that she had moved on with life, that she had finally got what she wanted. She had to make him understand that she had a family now and that if he tried to ruin that family, it would kill her. She felt guilty of making him believe that she had forgiven him. In fact she was far from it. She couldn't forgive him. At least not completely. The hurt, the betrayal she had felt had nearly killed her. She knew it was going to take ages before she forgives him. Forgiveness was something she had never been capable of.

She was very surprised when Ryan accepted her conditions without much resistance. She had known that he would listen to her but had believed that he would take a lot more time to give in. She felt another twinge of guilt as she remembered his expression when he told her that he would stay away from her. He was still in love with her, which is why he let her go. Rose felt her eyes prickling. Since she was the one who landed in this mess, she felt it was her responsibility to get everyone out. She also couldn't risk Scorpius talking to Ryan, for she knew that they would come to blows if Ryan did not agree to stay away from her and Amelia. Convincing herself that the step she had taken was for everyone's good, she walked out of the bathroom.

She moved downstairs to see Amelia seated in her high chair and Elora feeding her. Her heart gave a pang as she looked at Amelia. Every morning, she got up to see the little girl sitting next to her on Scorpius' bed. Even though Scorpius wasn't there, it didn't stop Amelia from going ahead with her daily routine, which was to wake her father up. Rose knew that her daughter was incapable of letting her know that how much she missed her father. But sometimes words were never needed. Quite often, she had seen Amelia falling asleep in front of the family portrait in her room, where the portrait Scorpius would smile down at her.

"Rose, are you seriously okay?? You look as if you just saw James in his underwear!", said Elora frowning.

"You know it is just stress of being a Healer and all", said Rose nonchalantly as she seated herself on the table, next to Amelia's high chair.

"You worry too much Rose! Hasn't Scorpius ever told you that?"

"He says that to me at least twice a day."

"And he's right. Relax a little bit all right?"

"It's difficult, you know?" said Rose, grabbing a plate and adding mashed potatoes to it, "I'm finding it hard to handle the house without Scorpius. For over two years, we've been running this house together, and ever since he's left, it's been just so…" she trailed off.

"Do you mean to imply that I'm boring??" asked Elora sternly, but a grin on her face gave her away.

"Oh yeah, terribly boring!" grinned Rose, "But honestly speaking, I am glad that you are here. It is always better to have company over dinner."

"I tried calling over Lily tonight", said Elora, drinking her juice, "I mean since she stays alone at her place, I thought it would be nice if the three of us could spend some together. And she has been so incredibly helpful when it comes to Amelia; she baby-sits Amelia almost everyday. And then you'd wonder if she owns the most popular clothing store in England."

Rose nodded, "I know. Amelia seems a lot happier after her outings with Lily. And I am happy that she does. It would thankfully keep her mind off thi-oh yeah- I met Shirley Walters today in Mungo's."

Elora's eyes narrowed. "I see", she replied icily, making Rose snort.

"I can't believe that you are still jealous about her. She and Albus were long over before you guys got together!!"

"Rose!! She was his first girlfriend!! It always stings to know that the man you are in love with likes another girl. Remember how Albus had freaked out when I told him I like him and he told me that he doesn't think that we should be hanging out more frequently?"

Rose let out another snort, "Actually, I remember the part when you slapped him for even suggesting that he and you shouldn't be hanging out together. He was in shock the entire day."

"I know. After he sort of turned me down, it was hard to believe that he would ever fall for me. Seeing him walk around with Walters in Hogsmeade was tough. And even though he's with me, I can't help but wonder…."

Rose's eyes widened, "Are you suspecting Albus?"

"NO! No. It's just the insecurity, you know? We have been arguing a lot more ever since I got pregnant. And I know it's mostly my fault. The feeling that he would fall for another woman while I'm all swollen and ugly, keeps nagging me. Didn't you ever feel like that about Scorpius, when you were pregnant with Amelia?"

Rose didn't know what to say. While she was pregnant with Amelia, she was more worried about how Amelia might actually look, and her possible resemblance to Ryan. Any thoughts regarding Scorpius falling for another woman never crossed her mind. Mainly because she knew that he was sacrificing everything willingly, only to help her out.

"Elora, I think you should know this", said Rose, looking her straight in the eye, "Albus is _never_ going to fall for another woman. Not until he's been obliviated or something. He decided he was going to marry you and spend the rest of his life with you, when he just about started dating you in the final year. And I know him. He is possibly crazier about you now than he was before. And since he is half Weasley, love becomes stronger with time. So you honestly have _nothing_ to worry about!!"

Elora took a deep breath, her eyes now glistening with tears, "How stupid am I, suspecting my own husband?!" she whined, placing her palms on her eyes.

"You aren't stupid. You are a woman. That's what we do.", said Rose cheekily, before finishing her last bit of food.

"This pregnancy is throwing me all off!" said Elora indignantly, "I am getting all these ridiculously negative feelings."

"Negative feeling??" asked Rose, frowning as she got up with her empty plate "Can you elaborate?"

"Like…like something big is about to happen", said Elora, struggling with her words, "Half the time I get this feeling that I am being kept in the dark by you-."

Rose dropped her plate in the sink in shock. She knew about the various things that witches feel or can do while they are pregnant. But this was one of a kind.

"But that's silly!" lied Rose, determinedly avoiding Elora's eyes as she washed her plate.

"I know!! The funny part is that I'm getting the same vibe from Lily. Like she is also hiding something big."

Rose just shrugged, feeling extremely uneasy with Elora's predictions. The way she had said them, it was almost like that the things that she feared would come true. Things like losing Amelia to Ryan, losing Scorpius to another woman, losing Scorpius forever-

A sharp gasp broke Rose's train of thoughts. She immediately turned around to see Elora clutching her swollen belly, shock written all over her face.

"What happened?" breathed Rose, hurriedly walking towards her.

"The baby. It just kicked!" said Elora breathlessly, looking down at her bump, "Touch it!"

Rose slowly moved her hand over Elora's stomach and squealed loudly as she felt some pressure on her hand from the opposite side.

"Oh my God!!" laughed Rose, "The little tyke is stron- OH he kicked again!!"

Amelia stretched her fingers towards them, babbling "wanna see", and wanting to touch Elora's swollen belly since everyone was touching it. The girl let out a surprised squeak when she felt the baby kick and started eyeing the bump suspiciously.

"This is so incredible", said Rose softly, "He's responding to our voices!"

"I know!" said Elora excitedly, "Albus had been waiting for this for so long!!"

"It's a pity that he's not here!!" Rose said, and suddenly wished she hadn't.

Elora's face fell immediately. Rose lowered her hands from her stomach. "Elora. I'm sorry."

Elora shook her head, tears glistening in her eyes, "It is alright. He knew what he was doing when he decided to leave me. I better get some sleep now. I'll see you tomorrow."

Rose nodded miserably watching her blonde friend go up the stairs, her shoulders drooping.

Two hours later, she was back in Scorpius' bedroom, wearing one of his shirts and looking outside the window.

Over two weeks had gone by ever since he left. She had apparated to the ministry and tried getting information on her husband from her uncle Harry. But all her uncle said that it was extremely confidential and he couldn't risk telling anybody about it. Even his own wife.

Something had been shaken from inside. Especially since Elora had made that prediction about things going wrong big time, she herself couldn't get herself to admit it that she too has started having that feeling, especially since Scorpius left. She was getting this feeling that this mission would turn her entire life upside down. She shuddered as the most obvious thought as to how her life would change drastically, crossed her mind.

_That would never happen. I just got him. He cannot leave me! And he won't. If I have to, I'll drag him out of hell._

Sighing heavily, she lied down on the bed, curling into a ball, waiting for her dreams to begin so that she could be with Scorpius again.

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**AN:**

**Okay so this chapter is not that significant. I was a little bored of writing Ryan so I figured writing Rose and Scorpius would refresh my mind. Also, I missed Scorpius! :'(**  
**Hope you liked this one. Again apologies to those who winced while reading the explicit flashback. But then the story does have a M rating. so I am not really the one to be blamed! And yes, I know it's a little corny as well...anyway..now please review!!**

**PS: Half Blood Prince has been nominated in many categories at the Scream Awards 2009. Don't forget to vote! **

**:)**


	17. In Deep Water

**I am going rather slowly with the updates, aren't I?? Once a month; I'm ashamed of myself, really. But then some update is better than no update!!**

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**Disclaimer: ****All recognizable characters belong to JKR. Copyright infringement not intended.**

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**17. In Deep Water**

"Are you sure sitting here would be fine??" asked Lily apprehensively, as she entered Central Park, adjusting her hat.

"Oh yeah definitely!" grinned Ryan, as his daughter, who was sitting in her pram, started squealing as she saw multi-coloured balloons at a distance. She started pointing towards them, urging her father to take her towards it, "See? Since Amy has no issues with this place, I don't see why we should have any!"

"But someone might recognize you!!" hissed Lily indignantly, "You do realize that you are an international Quidditch player."

"And you do realize that we are in a Muggle park, teeming with scores of families. No one would spot us here. I was sick and tired of being with Amy in the mansion. Can't a father and daughter spend some time together out in the—yes Amy, I'll get that for you!"

Ryan moved hurriedly towards the balloon seller, feeling ridiculously joyous. But he was like that every time his daughter visited him.

He bent down as he gave her the balloon she desired. Watching the brightest of smiles bursting on his daughter's face as she held a bright blue balloon in her tiny fists, stirred something within him. He never knew that he could care so much for someone, that someone being anyone other than Rose. Every time he saw his daughter, he realized that he finally had something to live for.

Rose rejecting him had been the most heartbreaking, the cruelest thing that could have ever happened to him. It was difficult for him to get up from the bed, knowing that now there was no chance in hell that Rose would like to be with him. He had seen the defiance in her eyes, the passion radiating from her as she declared love for her husband. It was just so hard to accept that they were never going to be together. His insides twisted miserably every time he thought of Malfoy with Rose. And what made him feel worse was that it was because of _him_ that Rose had ended up with Malfoy. If only he hadn't been so stupid to send her away…

Amelia tugged at his collar, showing him the bright coloured balloon in her hand.

"You like this colour, don't you?" he asked softly, tickling her stomach.

"Daddy's eyes!" she squeaked, before she turned to look in delight at the wonder in her hands.

Something sank in him as when he realized that she was referring to Malfoy and not him as her daddy. He desperately wanted to tell her that he was her _real_ daddy, and that she should be referring to _his_ eyes. But then some things aren't meant to be said.

"Daddy's eyes," he sighed heavily, running a hand over her curls.

"So where do you suggest we sit?" came Lily's voice from behind him, "It is getting quite sunny now and I don't want to get a sunburn!"

Ryan turned around to look at her amusedly, "You're talking about sunburn? With that giant hat you are wearing, I doubt you would get any. I believe that you are most likely to cause an eclipse with that hat of yours!"

"Hats are in vogue", said Lily loftily, adjusting her hat, "You are seriously fashion impaired! And it would also make sure that I am not recognized when I am with you."

"Ah I see. So you don't want to be seen in public with me."

"Yes. Don't want papers to write stories about me bonking a dunderhead."

"_Dunderhead_?! Where did that come from??" asked Ryan, flabbergasted.

"That was what Scorpius used to call you", said Lily with a giggle.

"Of course. The world would listen to Prince Malfoy has to say, wouldn't it?" he said maliciously, his eyes darkening.

"Oh, for the love of Merlin! Stop whining! If I hadn't known you, I would have said that you are a girl disguised as a guy," said Lily exasperated, "Let's find a place for us to sit."

Ryan observed Lily as she looked around for a place for them. She certainly changed a lot since the last time he had seen her. Or known her.

At school she had quite been the spoilt brat, wanting things to be done in her own special way. Being a Potter had gone into her head, and especially at the time they were going out, she behaved as if she was the supreme empress of the universe.

But now she had certainly grown up. She had a spunk in her that he was sure hadn't been there before. She dared to argue with him, and defy what he said. She had become level-headed and developed a sarcastic sense of humor. She had become bold in every sense of the word, and instead of making her more repulsive, she intrigued him even more. He was shocked when he found out that talking to her was just as easy as talking to Lysander. He would even call them friends.

Lily had grown into an undeniably attractive woman. She always dressed in clothes that she felt absolutely comfortable in, making her look even more attractive. She was always elegant, graceful and charming. She was growing on him in ways he hadn't ever imagined.

He couldn't deny that he was attracted to her. But he didn't know whether the reasons for his attraction were genuine or not. Was it because she had been with him when he was emotionally distressed? Or was it because he hadn't been with a woman ever since he broke up with Patricia, and had taken his appreciation for what Lily had done for him, as infatuation?

He didn't want to take a chance by dating her. He had messed up big time back in school. And he didn't want to ruin what they had now, which was loads better than what they had then. Also, he didn't want to play with her feelings when he knew that Rose haunted his dreams and that he still loved her a lot. He knew how it felt when the person you have feelings for doesn't reciprocate it. It didn't feel nice at all.

"Planning to sit any time this millennium?" came Lily's voice from a distance, "This place is brilliant!"

Ryan blinked and saw Lily setting down the picnic basket and taking out a large spread sheet for them to sit on.

"Coming", he said, before moving to join her. He might as well enjoy the present as it comes. He had spent too much time thinking about the future before and he messed it up. He wouldn't like to go down the path again. Ever again.

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"How on earth did that happen?" asked Lily incredulously, as she eyed the chess board disbelievingly.

"It happened because I am smarter!" said Ryan smugly as he checkmated her. He lay down on the blanket and exclaimed, "Victory is sweet!"

"Never thought the blonde had any brains", said Lily dryly, "And as for**—**Amy don't eat it!" she exclaimed as Amelia, who was sitting in Ryan's lap, took one of the black bishops on the board and put it in her mouth, ignoring the chess piece's cries.

"She must be hungry", said Ryan frowning, raising himself slightly in turn to look at his daughter.

"Hungreee", the little girl said sadly, pointing at her stomach, making Ryan grin.

"Oh, good. I was feeling hungry as well. You know what Amy, Silky made something for you. She said that you would love it…"

Lily watched the Ryan's eyes crinkling at the corners as he watched his daughter nibble at her pancake, in awe. They had been meeting up almost everyday for over a month now, but every time Ryan looked at his daughter, he had the same look of wonder and surprise on his face, as if he was seeing and learning something new about her. She was sure she had never seen Ryan act so human and so _alive_. Maybe this was who Ryan really was. His witty remarks sent her into peals of laughter, until the remarks were directed at her. He was a really warm and caring person, she had discovered. However she realized that not many knew of his split personality, both personalities being opposite ends of a stick. Clearly they had to be liked by him so that they could see his caring side.

Warmth coursed through her veins as she realized she was one of the very few who had seen that side of him. She was ecstatic that he had let her be part of his life. Only problem was that she had realized that she wanted _more_.

Over the month, she had realized that she was in fact far from being over him. The flutter of the heart whenever he used smiled at her, had now changed to heavy pounding of her heart in her ribcage. Her entire body would heat up whenever he whispered in her ear, his deep voice washing over her. And when his piercing eyes met hers, her stomach churned so violently she was surprised that she hadn't puked her guts out yet. When his skin came in touch with hers, she felt surprisingly faint. And being with him felt so_ right_. There was no other place in the world she'd rather be in when she was with him.

But she knew they were never going to happen. She knew that he was still crazy about Rose. When they were at his mansion, she had seen him staring at the life size picture of them on the wall too many times. At times, whenever he accidentally mentioned Rose, he would fall quiet until Amelia did something to catch his attention, pulling him back from the world of his misery.

Lily felt resentment rising in her as she thought about Rose. It was amazing how she had ruined _her_ chance with Ryan, despite not being involved at all. Lily knew it was wrong to think of her own cousin in that way. But she couldn't help it. Lily was sure that if Rose and Scorpius were in her and Ryan's shoes and them in theirs, Rose would have resented her even more. Rose knew that she had liked Ryan a lot, and how heartbroken she had been when he had dumped her. Rose also knew just how difficult it was for her to get over him, almost dying when she had overdosed on sleeping pills. Lily felt nothing but betrayal on Rose's behalf.

_But then I am betraying her trust._

Lily's insides twisted painfully. She agreed that she was playing with the immense trust Rose had placed in her when it came to her daughter. Rose dating a prat of an ex-boyfriend and her taking Rose's daughter to meet a man Rose wanted out of her daughter's life were eons apart. But then Rose was being unreasonable in asking Ryan to stay completely away from his daughter. Ryan genuinely wanted to be a part of his daughter's life.

A wave of alarm hit her as she realized that Ryan till now hadn't mentioned what he planned to about Amelia and him. He could try and take her custody and then fight for Rose. And with Scorpius around, the fight could turn really, really nasty.

Lily was surprised to see that the father and daughter were already done with their snacks. Either the two of them were really fast or she had zoned out for long time.

"Ryan, can I ask you something?" asked Lily cautiously, sitting straighter.

"Hmm?" he asked distractedly. Amelia was now asleep in his arms. He gently lifted her and tucked her in the pram.

"What are you planning to do about Amelia? You do realize that I won't be able bring her everyday especially after Scorpius is back."

Ryan's expression became rather serious. All the lighthearted air around him had disappeared.

He locked his arms around his knees and looked straight ahead at an elderly couple sitting a few meters away from them.

"I was thinking about visitation rights", he began quietly. "Rose is being unreasonable in asking me to stay away from my daughter. It is not as if I knew she was pregnant when we broke up. I know for certain that I would have never broken up with her if she had let me know."

"And what if that doesn't work out?"

"It has to. They'll have to allow to me to visit her, or the battle will turn bitter and then the entire world will come to know about the real story", sighed Ryan, running a hand through his hair "I never really thought that life would take such a turn after I reach England. It's become so complicated."

"That's an understatement, don't you think so?" asked Lily, chuckling slightly.

Ryan laughed, "You can say that again."

The two of them sat in comfortable silence as they observed their surroundings. Another plus of their budding friendship; silence was just as welcome as noise.

"Would you be leaving around the regular time?" asked Ryan, breaking the silence and finally looking at her for the first time ever since they sat down.

"Nope. I might have to leave early. Rose is hosting Elora's baby shower."

"I see. How many months is she into her pregnancy?"

"Six months. I think she's going to have a boy."

"A boy?" asked Ryan curiously, "You sure?"

"We women are intuitive. I am damn sure. And also, Potters always have a boy first."

"Whatever. I hope Potter Jr. turns out to be better looking than the scrawny rat of a father he has!"

"Hey!" exclaimed Lily indignantly, "Albus is good-looking all right? As a matter of fact all Potters are!!"

Ryan laughed and Lily felt something stir in inside her. Something warm was building in her chest as the sound of his laughter reached her ears. It sounded...nice.

"You are right. All Potters are good-looking. Especially the one sitting next to me."

The warmth now rose up to her cheeks and she was sure she hadn't blushed this much ever before. This had been the first time he had ever so openly complimented her. Her heart rammed wildly in her chest as she saw Ryan's eyes widening as if he had just realized what he had said. To her very pleasant surprise, the faintest of blushes stained his cheeks. She looked at him expectantly. Would he say anything more or deny what he had said?

"Uh well..." he stammered, trying to say something else, "Yeah."

Lily didn't know what to say or do. She wanted to shout out to the world that Ryan Smith found her good-looking yet at the same time wanted to smack him around the head for not saying anything more. She shrugged at him, averting her eyes from him.

"And I am sorry."

Lily's head snapped back to him, looking at him disbelievingly.

"I am sorry for what I did to you at school," said Ryan guiltily, looking at her again, "I was an egoistical, immature bastard then. I knew I had a thing for Rose back then when I was dating you. It was horrible of me to use you and lead you on. I know I shouldn't have dumped you in the Great Hall in front of everyone. I am really sorry. I mean it."

Lily gaped at him, still not being able to digest what he had just said to her. Had he just apologized for his actions??

"Uh...ahem", started Lily, struggling with her words, "Uh okay?"

"Did you really try to commit suicide?" he asked quietly, averting his eyes from her.

"NO!" she _shouted_, attracting stares from people around them. She lowered her eyes to the blanket they were sitting on, "I was going through a very hard time after we broke up. Sleeping was next to impossible, for all I did was cry. So I just took too many sleeping pills without thinking and hence I messed up badly."

Ryan looked at her sharply, and then softened his gaze. "You know, I was really taken aback when I heard that you had tried to kill yourself. I never thought I was worth someone's life. Back then, I might have acted as if everybody loved me. But I knew that the so-called friends, save Lysander, had never truly cared about me. And there was a reason why I hardly cared about people. And even if I did care about them, I didn't show it in the right manner. Rose leaving me makes more sense. I was never worth her. I have a lot to learn before I can say I truly deserve someone. And I don't know if I would ever be able to accomplish that."

"Don't say that!" said Lily softly, reaching for his arm, "I can say that you have made some progress."

"You think so?" asked Ryan, sighing heavily as he looked at her.

"I know so," said Lily knowingly, offering him a smile. She was more than shocked when he intertwined his fingers with hers. She gaped at him, speechless.

"Thanks," he said gratefully, giving her fingers a squeeze. Lily waited for him to pull back his hand, but he didn't. She couldn't help but marvel how her hand seemed the right fit for his.

If only he could also see that.

Her eyes looked up again to see him staring intensely back at her. She felt a tingle up her spine as her eyes bore into hers. The familiar warm feeling was building inside her again, creeping up her neck to her face. Only that it was much stronger. She thought she was hallucinating when she saw him lean towards her. But she couldn't mistake, the way he was gently pulling her towards him. She moved closer to him, extremely sure that he could now hear her wildly thumping heart. His other hand moved to her cheek, and cupped it. His fingers were burning on her skin; she would be rather surprised if there aren't any red finger marks on her cheeks once he moved his fingers away. Her eyes fluttered close as she felt his nose next to hers, his breath hot on her mouth.

_Click._

She felt Ryan freeze, their lips just about brushing.

_Click._

Her eyes snapped open to see Ryan's shocked face.

"Don't move", he whispered. He gently took out his wand and discreetly pointed it someone behind her.

"_Impedimenta__!_" he hissed furiously. A second later, Lily heard a soft thud somewhere behind her.

"Come on!!" shouted Ryan, springing up, "We've got to leave!"

"Wha—?" was the only thing Lily could manage before she felt herself being pulled up violently. She felt herself being dragged out of the park.

"There's no one here!" whispered Ryan, "Hold still."

Lily felt the familiar feeling of stomach squeezing uncomfortably. And before she knew it she was in front of Ryan's doorstep. Amelia was now crying loudly. A terrified looking Ryan took her in his arms, trying to calm her.

"Did I hurt her?" he asked, fear written all over his face as he gently tossed her in his arms, rubbing soothing circles on her back.

"She's uncomfortable with Apparition", said Lily still catching her breath, "What on earth had just happened?"

"Bloody paparazzi!" said Ryan angrily as he opened the door to his house, Amelia now sniffling "Why do they always have to be everywhere?!"

"Didn't I tell you that they would eventually find us and—" Lily had started but then she stopped, her blood running cold, "Do you know to which newspaper or magazine did they belong?"

"No!" said Ryan irritated, placing Amelia back in her pram, "It's not like I would ask them their identity while I am trying to run away from them! They aren't exactly my best friends!"

"Did they manage to get a few snaps?" whispered Lily, trembling as her stomach churned violently.

All the colour disappeared from Ryan's face as he looked at Lily, horrified.

"They might have", he said, looking faint, "This wasn't supposed to happen!"

"There was a reason why I had said that we shouldn't be out!" said Lily panicking, "Now everything would be out in the open! Do you idea about the amount of damage that you have done?"

"I'll take care out of it", muttered Ryan furiously, "Does Rose still read _Witch Weekly_?"

"I think so. Along with _Quidditch Illustrated_ and few other lifestyle magazines!"

"Try and make sure that she doesn't get the next few issues!"

"Do you have any just how stupid you sound?!"

"Fine! Then the only other option is telling her!"

Lily stared at him gob-smacked, "Are you serious? She'll kill me! I can't tell her!"

"So you want her to know through a magazine?" asked Ryan, looking incredulous, "You are just signing your death sentence then!"

"Fine. I'll tell her! But when?" spat Lily angrily. She knew that she was inviting doom by telling Rose that she took Amelia to her real father everyday. She had once seen Rose in a real fit of anger and she swore that she beat all when it came to anger, be it her own mother, her aunt and their Grandmother.

"Today. Today is the safest day to tell her", said Ryan quietly, "Who knows if the story gets published in tomorrow's newspaper or magazine? Let her know before it is too late!"

"I can't," whimpered Lily, "Not today. It is too early!"

Ryan growled, frustrated.

"I'll go to the various publishing houses to find out who got our snaps. And then I'll try and convince them to not publish it. If I am not successful—" Ryan took a deep breath, "And then you have to tell Rose."

Lily felt her eyes prickling. She had never expected to get caught, especially in this manner. She honestly didn't want to know the possible outcome of the revelation. Rose and Scorpius would be furious, and because of that she was absolutely sure that Albus would probably stop talking to her, along with the rest of her family. The worse part would be the fact that Rose's secret would be out in the open leading to major rift in the family.

It might actually tear their entire family apart.

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"Thank Merlin, you're here!" exclaimed Rose as soon as she opened the door to let Lily and Amelia in, "You had fun with Aunt Lily didn't you?" she asked her daughter, who just grinned and clapped her hands.

Lily gave Rose a half-hearted grin, her heart thumping loudly in anticipation of what would happen later. Ryan was busy trying to stop the printing of the news, and he had said he'd send her a letter letting her know about what she had to do next. Lily desperately hoped she didn't have to do anything at all.

"And honestly, what is that thing you are wearing on your head?", asked Rose amusedly, looking pointedly at her hat.

"Super hat!" muttered Lily as she took it off, "Want to borrow it?"

Rose seemed to be in a thought before she answered, "Sure! Now come on in and help me. A lot more people have turned up than I had thought!"

For the first time since she had reached Rose's house, she registered the loud chattering and giggling coming from the living room. She blinked to see the room decorated with balloons and streamers covering almost every part of the house. Elora was sitting bang in the middle. She was wearing a bright yellow dress, one of Lily's own creations, and was positively glowing as the guests praised just how gorgeous she looked. The house was crowded with women, none of them looking like what she was feeling on the inside.

Dread filled every bit of her as she moved in the crowd. She kept nervously glancing at the window hoping that Ryan would send a positive answer soon enough. Her heart was thudding loudly, bouncing up and down in her ribcage. She was sure her blood pressure would be really high now. Why hadn't she ever thought of this scenario before? Before she took Amelia to Ryan for the first time, she should have thought of the consequences she could face if she were caught. But clearly, she thought without keeping the end in mind. And therefore she had invited doom on herself.

"Hey Lil", came Roxanne Jordan's voice from somewhere, "Not feeling well huh??"

Lily turned to look at her cousin and gave a weak smile.

_No, I'm not. I think I'm about to die!_

She walked towards the kitchen, handing Amelia to Roxanne. She could see Rose waving her wand over the various utensils, various delicious aromas filling the air.

"It sure smells good," said Lily, offering her a smile, her stomach flipping extremely uncomfortably as Rose turned her open, trusting eyes towards her.

"Thanks", said Rose gratefully, "I'll never understand how Grandma manages to prepare a feast for all of us on Christmas. Hugo said that he couldn't cater since he had other plans. Plans my arse! He couldn't come for the shower because he is busy shagging Amanda McDonald."

"Amanda McDonald??" asked Lily surprised, forgetting her moment of misery, "You mean that girl in those geeky glasses, who had the hugest crush on him at Hogwarts and used to tail him around?"

"Yup! I still cannot believe what she saw in my dork of a brother", said Rose shrugging, "She is a very nice girl. But according to Hugo, she's all _grown up_ now. She'd come to _his_ restaurant for dinner with a date, and he, _somehow,_ managed to end up with her in bed!"

"That does sound a lot like Hugo. He always does the unexpected!" said Lily laughing.

"Well. I hope he treats her right! He was always in awe of James and Teddy who were known for their playboy nature!"

Lily cringed, "Please don't remind me of my brother's nature. I have walked in on him shagging random chicks too many times."

"Haha...do you remember the time…"

For a moment, Lily forgot about all her worries as she talked to Rose. It honestly had been a long time since she was _really_ with her cousin. She had forgotten just how enjoyable it was talking to Rose.

However, it was a moment only. It wasn't meant to last for long.

There was a sudden tapping on the kitchen window. Both turned to see a handsome tawny owl in mid-air, holding a piece of parchment and looking straight at them.

Lily's stomach instantly vanished as she saw Rose approaching the window.

"Hey Rose!" said Lily uncomfortably, "I think that one's mine. I had told Veronica to send me the latest designs!"

Rose nodded and left with two trays of quiches.

Heart now in her mouth, she opened the kitchen window allowing the owl to stretch its legs towards her so that she could take the letter from it.

As Lily took the letter, the owl gave a soft hoot and then took off. With trembling fingers, she opened her letter, wondering if she was going to throw up all over it or not. Air escaped her lungs as she read the six words written on the piece of parchment.

_I was too late. Tell her._

The world suddenly started spinning out of control and Lily slid down onto the floor, shaking terribly. Her heart which had been nearly popping out of her mouth seemed to stop all of a sudden. Panic she had never known filled her. Breathing had become extremely difficult for her. She couldn't believe the moment to tell Rose the truth had come. Didn't they just finish having a wonderful conversation??

"Lily? Are you okay??" came Rose's concerned voice.

Lily looked up to see Rose towering over her, looking extremely worried.

"What happened?" asked Rose soothingly, bending down on her knees, and placing her hand on Lily's shoulders.

Lily opened her mouth but no sound came out of it. Everything in front of her had now become blurred. She knew nothing could ease the guilt which was now bubbling over as tears. She took a deep breath and looked at Rose through her tears. She was finally going to tell her. It was now or never.

"I-I", started Lily choking on her own tears.

"Yes? Honey what happened?"

It was Rose's tone that broke her resolve. That did it.

She just couldn't turn that friendly, concerned tone into one of scorn and fury.

"I forgot to close the door to my office", said Lily, ignoring the sharp jabs in her stomach as she lied, "And apparently there was a mouse around. So quite a bit of my paperwork was ruined."

She never understood why she was sorted into Hufflepuff and not in Gryffindor. But now she did. Because she wasn't brave enough to meet the consequences of her actions.

"Aww...Blasted Rodents!!" said Rose, tutting sympathetically, "Everything would be fine. We can always repair it. And then we'll hunt them down and set them after Hugo since he's so terrified of them," she winked, "Now come on! Wash your face and move to the living room, Elora's about to open her presents!"

Lily bit her lip as she saw Rose smiling at her encouragingly and then move to the living room. Her insides twisted painfully as she pulled herself up from the floor. She faced the sink and allowed the tears that she had been holding inside, to flow freely.

"I'm so sorry, Rose. Really sorry."

* * *

**AN:-**  
**Sorry for the long wait. It's annoying me as well. University is crippling me!! :P**  
**Have my Uni exams coming up soon. Doesn't mean I won't post updates.**

**Something pretty relevant to the story is coming up in the next chapter. So keep tight. Enjoy other stories as well.**  
**You know the drill. Please review!! :)**


	18. All I Want For Christmas Is You

**Exams are over! They were pretty all right! So I am pretty happy. **  
**It's been little over a year since I started this story. So join me in wishing the story a Belated Happy Anniversary! :P**

**Eighteen chapters in twelve months doesn't sound really good, but it doesn't sound bad either now does it? Efforts are, as usual, being made to write the maximum in minimum time.**

**And apologies for not replying to the reviews of prev chapter…would reply to them with the reviews of this one.**  
**Anyway, back to the story people!! :)**

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****Disclaimer:**** All recognizable characters belong to JKR. Copyright infringement unintended**

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**18. All I Want For Christmas Is You**

_Hey,_

_Really sorry to let you know that Amelia won't be able to make it today. She's developed a rather nasty bout of cold so I thought it'd be better if she stays with me today._

_I know you had been looking forward to spending some time with her, especially since you haven't seen her for almost a fortnight. She was missing her aunt too. _

_And listen to this!! There is a possibility that Scorpius, Al, Dad, and Teddy would be coming back soon. There has been a buzz in the ministry that their mission is now over. I just can't wait to see them!!_

_Anyway, we'll see you tomorrow at the Burrow for Christmas._

_Rose._

Lily let out a breath that she had been holding ever since the letter had been delivered to her ten minutes ago. She relaxed in her rocking chair, sighing deeply. She waved her wand at the fireplace, and muttered _Incendio_. She stretched her legs and yawned widely, allowing the warmth of the fireplace wash over her.

Peaceful moments like this were rather rare for her these days. All she did these days was counting the seconds till skeletons came out of the closet and ruined her life.

Her eyes fell on the most recent copy of Witch Weekly kept on the coffee table two feet away from her chair. The magazine was open at the page that had almost, _almost_ ended everything.

When Ryan had sent her the copy of the magazine two days after the _incident_, to say that she was terrified was an understatement. With trembling fingers she had opened the cover enclosing the magazine, not bothering to open the letter he had sent with it. And the moment she opened the magazine to _the page_, she had felt her heart stop.

For there were two pictures of Amelia's pram, Ryan and her. But in both of them, she had her back to the photographer. And she was also wearing the gigantic hat of hers in both of them.

She had literarily cried in relief once she was done reading the article on her and Ryan. The article stated that Ryan had been spotted at the park getting cozy with a single mother with long flaming red hair. The photos had been clicked by a tourist and were sent to the magazine. And since the tourist hadn't gotten a better look at the woman, and since he was a foreign national, he wasn't able to recognize the woman with Ryan, despite getting enough glimpses of her. The article had then proceeded to guess the woman he was with. They had even managed to speculate whether the kid was Ryan's biological child, since Ryan seemed extremely attached to it. So until Rose recognized the hat in the picture along with the Amelia's pram, she was safe. But she knew she wouldn't be so for long.

She had _borrowed_ the Rose's latest edition of Witch Weekly to _read_, since she had _lost_ her copy and there was an interesting article on fabrics she wanted to _read_. Rose bought the lame excuse and allowed her to take the magazine and hadn't asked for it since then. But then Lily knew that she had only bought more time for herself as the probability that the Witch Weekly had printed only two copies of the December issue was very small.

Ever since the incident with Ryan and the paparazzi, she hadn't been able to sleep peacefully. She'd wake up in the middle of the night, having nightmares about Rose finally finding out the truth about Amelia's secret visits to Ryan. An angry and a devastated Rose morphed into Albus, calling her a betrayer, disowning her from the family and then she would have no one to go to.

Except maybe Ryan.

Lily's insides squirmed as she thought of the man who had almost kissed her the last time they'd met. They were so bloody close. She had seen the want in his eyes as he neared her. And she knew she wanted him as well. She loved watching him. She loved hearing him while he talked. She loved it when he bared his soul to her. She loved it when his fingers brushed against hers lightly. She loved it when his fingers brushed her cheeks. She loved it when his lips brushed against hers. She wanted him _bad_.

A clock chimed four somewhere and she was pulled back into the real world. With a small groan, she realized that she had forgotten to let Ryan know that Amelia would not be able to make it tonight.

He had begged her (through a letter) to try and bring Amelia on the day before Christmas as he longed to spend time with the little girl and give her his Christmas present for her. He didn't know how much time he had left with her and he wanted to make most of it. She had said that she'd try. And she did.

But Amelia was unwell. Therefore she would not be able to make it. Sighing, Lily slowly got up from her chair and got ready to go to Ryan's place and inform him of the current situation.

Within half an hour, she apparated to outside Ryan's mansion, shivering slightly as the snowflakes hit her face and melted instantly. She entered his property, marveling the scene before her. The entire ground was covered with blinding white snow; so were the roofs of the mansion. The place looked like a fairyland, and for a split second she couldn't help but wish that she shared the ownership with the one who actually owned this place.

Shaking her head dejectedly, she walked to the front door and knocked loudly; bouncing slightly on the balls of her feet as the snowfall turned fiercer and the temperature seemed to dip rapidly.

The door opened and she bit back a laugh as she saw Ryan wearing an apron which said 'I own this place'.

"Hey", he said, smiling widely at her and ushering her inside, "Come in! I have been busy all day, preparing dinner for us, you know. I gave Silky off today so that she could spend time with her family. I hope Amy-Where's Amy?"

His smile slid off his face as he realized that his daughter wasn't there with Lily. She squirmed uncomfortably on the spot as he looked at her quizzically.

"Uh..she-she's unwell. She's with Ro-Rose at the hospital", stammered Lily as she looked into his eyes. Good lord, she could certainly get lost in them.

"WHAT?!" he exclaimed loudly, worry clouding over his face "What's wrong with her?! I've got to-"

Lily cringed as she realized that she didn't word her sentence well.

"Uh sorry! What I meant was that she's got a cold", she said quickly, watching Ryan calming down, "Rose just thought it'd be better if Amelia stayed with her at the hospital. That way Rose can always keep an eye on her."

He let out a deep breath of relief, "Merlin! You scared me big time. So she wouldn't be able to make it here anytime soon I suppose?"

"Yup."

"And you came all the way to my house to tell me that? You could've just written, you know?"

_Fuuuuuuck!_

Lily blushed furiously as soon as that statement came out of his mouth. This was utterly mortifying. Informing him through a letter would have been the most obvious thing to do. But no; she just _had to visit_ him and tell him so.

She let out a nervous giggle, making him frown at her in confusion.

"Uh then I better get going!" she squeaked, her voice several pitches higher than usual, "See you later-"

"Or you can stay to have dinner", said Ryan, smiling slightly, "I mean I did put in a lot of effort in making all that food. It would be a sheer waste if I didn't have company tonight."

"What about your parents?"

"I'm meeting them tomorrow for Christmas."

"Lysander?"

"He has other obligations."

"Your teammates?"

"Busy banging their girlfriends."

"And what about-?"

"Lily look", said Ryan tiredly, leaning against the wall, "We could do this all day long. You are one of the very few people I can actually spend time with and not want to either curse the person or myself. If you want to, do join me. If you have other plans, you are welcome to leave."

Lily shrugged and took off her overcoat to hang it on the coat stand. Ryan winked at her and then moved towards the kitchen, making her flush with pleasure and embarrassment. Did he know about her current predicament regarding him? Of course he did! She wasn't exactly what people called subtle.

"I'm giving you company only because I didn't have anything else to do!" she lied, falling in one of the sofas by the fire. She felt herself becoming warmer by the second and she knew it barely had anything to do with the fact that she was sitting by the fire. She was alone for the first time with Ryan ever since their re-acquaintance. With Amelia not being around, things might be different. Her heart thudded loudly in anticipation of the things that may or may not happen between them in the next few hours.

"All right!" came Ryan's voice from the kitchen, "It is good thing you are free. I wanted someone to taste this new kind of pasta Silky taught me."

"You better hope it turned out well. Or else you would receive a lot more complimentary gifts from Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes this Christmas!"

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"It is beautiful", muttered Lily softly as she surveyed the scene before her eyes. They were currently sitting on the highest balcony facing the front of the house. The sight was absolutely splendid, making her catch her breath in her throat. She looked above her head to see snow collecting overhead on the invisible shield conjured by the Shield Charm. She felt as if she was in an ice cave. A warm, pleasant ice cave.

"More wine?" asked Ryan softly, refilling his own glass. He too looked ahead, a pleased expression on his face.

"Please", said Lily nodding.

"I hope you enjoyed the dinner", said Ryan, turning to look at her.

"I think you know the answer to that", said Lily, flushing lightly.

Ryan laughed, making her chuckle as well.

"I can't believe that you finished an entire bowl of pasta on your own. You were supposed to taste it, not devour it!"

"Well what can I say? You do really own the kitchen", she said, taking another sip of the wine.

Ryan looked quite smug, "There is another room I own, Potter. The bedroom to be specific."

Lily choked on her drink and looked at Ryan, who was busy looking at his drink and smirking.

Was he hitting on her? Was this moment really happening? Or maybe he was just playing with her. He had always been quite playful. So why should this moment be any different?

"How many glasses of wine have you had till now?" she asked, looking at him warily.

"Four. And I am pretty confident about my bedroom skills. Want to challenge me?"

"I'll pass."

"Why?! You don't think I'll match up to your expectations? I'll _surpass_ them. Quite easily if I may say. I may set a standard to be specific."

Lily snorted. She couldn't believe she was here with Ryan in his house discussing his performance in bed. Few years ago, just being with Ryan would've been unimaginable. Funny thing, time was.

"Yeah sure why not", she said dryly, "It's only that I'm too beneath your standards"

"You are actually pretty much above my standards, love. You have _no idea_ just how it is for me to resist you when you are slightly drunk, standing right next to me and look so fucking gorgeous!"

Lily let out another snort and turned to look at him. Instead of seeing a cocky smirk, she was greeted with rather a dead serious expression, eyes set on her. She gaped at him, mouth slightly open. Did he really mean what he said? Did he actually want her? She could feel her blood boiling as she saw his eyes rove appreciatively over her body. Something warm was building in her again. His eyes met hers, and she was blown away by how dark they looked.

His jaw was set he looked defiantly at her.

"You've done a lot for me", he whispered huskily, moving towards her, "You could've lost a lot by helping me."

Lily opened her mouth to say something but what came out was a squeak. She nodded curtly, not being able to break the eye contact. She was hypnotized by his gaze. And she didn't know whether it was for good or for bad. He placed his hand on her cheek and stroked it lightly, his fiery stare still on her. She felt as if her cheeks were on fire.

_It is winter now, right?_

Her belly quivered as he gently placed his hand on her waist and gently pulled her closer. Lily fought the urge to moan as she felt his hands on her lower back under her shirt, his hands hot against her skin.

Her breathing became extremely laboured as his fingers traced her lips.

"I will continue to help you in whatever way I can", she breathed, her eyes closing of its own accord as she felt his mouth next to her cheek, brushing it lightly with his lips.

"Glad to know that."

And then Ryan pulled her into his body and crushed her lips to his.

Lily thought she had died and gone to heaven. Sure she had kissed a lot of guys in the past, and Ryan was one of them. But even that hadn't prepared for the tempest she was facing now. She felt as if she was releasing all the pent up frustration and feelings in this one kiss, making her wonder if she knew she had so much cooped up inside her. She pulled back when she felt her chest ache due to lack of oxygen. But after a second, she pulled his head towards her, his lips meeting hers once again. She stood on her toes as he wound his arms rather tightly around her waist, making every bit of space between them disappear. His tongue slipped in her mouth, and his hand on the waist now fell down to her arse, pulling her lower body into him, making both of them moan. He broke the kiss after a few more seconds, gasping loudly, and rested his face in the crook of her neck. She gently kissed his throat, and nipped at his earlobe, making him groan and kiss her savagely.

Blood pounding in her ears, she felt Ryan lifting her and moving somewhere. She desperately hoped it was the room he so boldly claimed to be the master of. She didn't know what would happen to her if this didn't culminate in sex. The heat was too fierce; the emotions running were too high, the passion was intoxicating. Within seconds it seemed, she was lying on the softest of the mattresses she had ever known. The world around her receded as Ryan placed tantalizingly slow kisses on her neck, his fingers unbuttoning her shirt. She arched her back against him, moaning loudly as his mouth touched a soft spot on her neck.

His fingers ran across her bare stomach, sparks bursting on her skin as he touched her. Lily figured that if he kept teasing her so mercilessly, she would have to take control.

But shockingly, all of a sudden, he _stopped_.

"What happened?" she croaked, coming out of her world of lust and passion and lifting herself slightly to see Ryan lying face down on her stomach, looking absolutely still. He slowly lifted his head to look at her with a guilty expression.

_Oh._

It had to be Rose. Why else would he look at her so guiltily at her? They both knew he was in love with Rose and yet he was about to shag her. Why was she so stupid to believe that Ryan actually wanted her?

"Hey", she said softly, her vision blurring as tears filled her eyes, "It's all right. I know you want Rose. I-so-I'll get going."

She quietly buttoned her shirt, wanting to scream at him, hit him for still being so in love with Rose. But it wasn't really his fault now, was it? She was the stupid one to fall for him all over again. If she didn't have any feelings for him, she wouldn't have minded it if nothing was happening between them.

She slowly got off from the bed, feeling as if her heart had been crushed to pulp. She moved towards the bedroom door without sparing a glance at him. She couldn't wait to get home, where she could unleash all her frustration and anger and in the end, cry to her heart's content.

"Lily, wait."

The firmness in his voice was what had stopped her. Her heart thudded loudly as she felt him grab her by her shoulders and turn her around. She looked up to meet his eyes, whimpering slightly as he rubbed his hands down her arms.

He pressed his body against hers and her eyes widened as she felt something press against her stomach, making her blush profusely.

"That is something that _you_ did", said Ryan, whispering in her ears, "And _not_ Rose."

"But you want her, don't you?", said Lily sadly, feeling herself welling up again.

He stared into her eyes for the longest time before he said in a firm voice, "But tonight, I want _you_."

There. He had finally said it. He still loved Rose. He was merely fighting his sexual frustration with her help. But then he needed her help. He wanted her for the night. And she knew just how badly she wanted him as well. Who knew what was there for her in future?

She knew there was a huge possibility that she might regret sleeping with him in the future, but she also knew that she'd regret it more if she didn't go ahead with it when she'd gotten her chance.

"Then tonight", she said firmly, eyes locking on his as she threaded her fingers through his hair, "I'm yours", allowing him to crush his lips to hers and take her into the world she'd never known to share with him.

* * *

"Wow! Someone's looking happy today", remarked Raymond Williams as he watched Rose attending every child enthusiastically in the Pediatric ward with a rather large smile on her face, "So damn glad to see your face light up! You look gorgeous you know. I wonder if you're smiling so much just because I'm here to see you."

"Oh no dear its not you!" snorted Rose, placing her index and middle finger on a young girl's throat and looking at her watch. Her insides were literarily jumping with excitement. She felt as if she were floating. She honestly hadn't felt this kind of anticipation ever before.

"Why do you this to me, Rose? After I have proclaimed my undying love for you-"

"Grow up Williams. You only want me because I'm married!" said Rose, putting a thermometer in the girl's mouth, looking pointedly at her intern to take over and quickly moving over to the next patient, a child hiccupping bubbles.

"One of the many reasons dear. You don't have many Healers in Mungo's with that great a rack!!"

"I have an equally great mind that can remember the most dangerous and ridiculous jinxes I am sure you've never heard of. Want to get a peek at that great a jinx?"

"No love, I'm fine", said Raymond, looking rather cautious as he watched Rose examining the patient's throat, "Seriously what is up with you? It is almost ten at night, and you look as if your day has just begun!"

"You wont understand", said Rose softly, trying her best to suppress the grin covering her face. A letter was responsible for her current state of euphoria.

_Hey,_

_Would be coming back home in a day or so. Hope you missed me. Because I definitely missed you and it wouldn't be fair if you didn't. Can't wait to see you again._

_Love you,_

_Scorpius_

Rose had never believed that a letter could cause so much havoc in her. But it did. And Merlin! It was the best chaos she had ever felt. She was literarily counting seconds till she could see him, be in his arms, and then have her way with him. She felt heat creeping up her neck as one of her fantasies involving him came to her mind. Oh yeah, he was in for a big surprise once he came back. She had waited too long now. It was time she finally got what she wanted.

She sighed as she looked at her patient.

"So Derek. I hope this is the last time I would be seeing you this year", said Rose, hiding a small smile as her most regular patient blinked innocently at her.

"Ok", said Derek, smiling widely at her, "Merry Christmas Rosie!"

"Goodnight"

Rose ruffled his hair, and left the ward towards Daycare room for Healers' children, feeling extremely pleased. Her spirits were at an all time high after receiving Scorpius' letter two hours ago. She checked her watch which showed that it was well past ten. Just over an hour or so before Christmas started.

She entered the dimly lit day care ward to see her various healers and trainees with their infants and toddlers, packing up to leave for their Christmas celebrations. As they were leaving the room, they wished Rose, while she nodded back at them in greeting. She went to her most familiar spot in the entire room.

Amelia was fast asleep in her bassinet, clutching a cuddly teddy bear in her tiny arms. Rose looked down at her daughter with a soft smile on her face. It had been almost two years ever since she started seeing her daughter sleeping. But every time she felt herself welling up. How could she have been blessed with someone so amazing and so beautiful? The little girl was the reason why she got the perfect life she had dreamt of. Every little nuisance of her daughter filled her with an affection she didn't know really existed. Sure she had spent over five years taking care of children, and had a special corner for all her past patients. Despite _knowing_ that she'd love her child more than anyone could, going through it was a different thing all together. It was difficult earlier in the first few months, but it was worth it. She bent down slowly, trying to kiss her little girl, when it happened.

She had felt as if her eardrums had exploded when the noise happened. The air was suddenly filled with screams and cries. Rose turned around, extremely confused and terrified, to see that people were running around in the corridors. Most trainees and Healers who had left with their kids had now suddenly entered the room, looking panic-stricken. Their kids were wailing loudly, but their parents didn't try to calm them. On the other hand, they were putting the kids down in the bassinets and exiting the room hurriedly.

The Daycare In-charge, who had been sleeping, woke up at the sound of the explosion and over a dozen kids crying. Amelia too had now woken up and was wailing along with the rest of the kids. Heart thudding loudly, she picked up Amelia, rubbing soothing circles on her back, trying to get some answers from the other healers who were putting their kids in bassinets and rushing out.

"What happened Teri?", cried Rose, looking at the healer next to her, who was now hurriedly changing into her healer robes.

"A deadly explosion took place right outside Mungo's", said Teri, her voice shaking, "The front portion of ground and first floor has been blown up. The magical barrier shielding Mungo's from the muggles has been broken. There are a lot of casualties, including the ones in the hospital! Hurry!"

Rose's stomach churned extremely uncomfortably, absolute disbelief clouding her. An explosion outside Mungo's that affected the hospital itself?? It had to be some form of dark magic because no muggle terror attack could have damaged the Hospital building.

"Sam, take Amelia. I need to leave", said Rose urgently, handing her daughter over to the caretaker who seemed befuddled at the sight of dozen or so children bawling their eyes out.

Rose rushed through the corridors and the panicking people, her heart now just about to pop from her mouth. She watched the bloodied people being brought in. The hospital benches were now occupied by the injured. The healers were extremely hyper, shouting for various equipments. Unhurt people were looking petrified, some trying to help with the healers, some trying to get out of the chaos.

She hadn't ever really expected the hospital to be in such a chaos. Since Christmas was dawning on them, most of the healers had already left for their homes, causing a severe shortage of Healers. Rose almost slipped as she took the next step. Her stomach lurched as she saw that she had almost slipped on _blood_. What on bloody earth had happened that could cause such damage?

"ROSE!" came Roma's voice from somewhere around her. Rose searched for the familiar brunette, and found Roma cleaning the wounds on the head of an old man in one corner.

"Go towards the entrance. The Trainees are bringing in the casualties. Make sure that they don't fuck it up and end up killing the severely injur- Sir, hold still!"

Rose nodded hurriedly, her mouth extremely dry. She moved ahead towards the entrance, stopping the middle to help the injured. More than once she had to stop and look at the injured groaning, the ones bleeding profusely, or the ones in shock. As she had finished wrapping the bandages around a young girl's arms and muttering an incantation to keep the bandages intact, a familiar streak of blue caught her eye.

A streak she had gotten accustomed to in the past twenty-five years she had lived.

"TEDDY!!!!" Rose cried, rushing towards him, "What-?"

Rose stopped immediately as she saw that Teddy's robes were stained with blood in the front. She gaped in horror as he looked at her and tried to give her his usual grin, however he ended up scrunching his face in pain and swayed on the spot. She rushed towards him, fear welling up in her.

_They were back?? They weren't supposed to be back before yesterday or-_  
_Were they all injured? Is that why they all-?_

_Did they know who caused the explosion? Were they really the targets?_

_And where was Scorpius?? And Al, and Dad and Chris?_

Rose prepared herself as Teddy put his weight on her, almost slumping onto the ground.

"What happened out there? Teddy are you okay??", cried Rose, tears welling up in her eyes rather fast. What on earth had happened out there?? Were the rest okay? Or were they worse than him?

Teddy tried to open his mouth but he ended up coughing blood. Rose felt helpless as she saw him losing more blood, knowing that once he loses a certain amount of blood, he wouldn't survive. She looked around for help desperately, her mind absolutely blank in the time of dire need. Once again, she felt as helpless and clueless as the little girl who got separated from her parents while on a trip to the Ministry and got lost.

She was a Healer for Merlin for Heaven's sake!! How could she not know what to do when the dear ones needed help.

"Hey!" came a rather gruff voice from behind her, "We'll take it from here."

Before Rose knew it, the weight that was Teddy was now on a stretcher carried by two volunteers who were directed by a Healer she merely recognized by face. Rose looked behind them to see many Healers coming in, looking alert and determined, pushing past Rose to attend the injured.

And then she saw three other faces that sent relief flooding through veins. Chris seemed unconscious and was being carried by Ron in his arms, who was least injured of the lot with a few scratches on his face. Albus on the other hand, seemed to have scarred his right side of the face rather badly but seemed fine otherwise. But the relief wasn't quite enough because Scorpius wasn't there yet.

Feeling nauseous as she approached them, she threw herself in Albus' arms as he neared her. He winced loudly, but wrapped his arms round her nevertheless.

"Where do I _deposit_ this lump in my arms?" asked Ron gruffly, tossing Chris slightly.

"Right ahead. Healer Waltham would be taking care of them in Ward Twelve- two doors from here", said Rose hurriedly, pointing her fingers in the required direction, heart thudding loudly, "Where is Scorpius?"

Ron left without answering her question, making her look at Albus expectantly, hoping that he'd tell her that Scorpius was out there helping the other injured ones.

"I honestly don't know Rose", said Albus sadly, wincing as Rose gingerly touched his face, "I had just gotten out of alley-Teddy and Scorpius in charge-."

"Rose!" came a voice interrupting them. Rose turned from Albus to see one of her Trainees with another person, levitating a stretcher with a blood-stained sheet covering the body.

"This one's a goner!" gasped Michael, "There's barely any pulse, he looks really bad in shape, he wont be able to make it! Can we take him to the mortuary instead?"

She was feeling myriad emotions at the moment. Anxiety, dread, fear, relief, sadness, disgust, but one rose rather sharply. That of absolute fury.

"You have no right, I repeat, NO RIGHT, to let a patient die!" she spat, "A healer never gives up till there is absolutely NO sign of life, do you get that?! I want you to take this one and try and bring him back to life! Until then don't say he's dead!"

"But you haven't given him a look. _He is awful_. He's got only few minutes. His heart's been damaged rather badly. He is surely going to die. We barely have any beds-!"

"I'll keep this attitude of yours in mind while filling in your evaluation form, Mr. Johns", said Rose coldly, fury radiating from every fibre of her being, "I would not tolerate this attitude of yours; I want you to leave right now."

Johns looked rather abashed, "Sorry Ma'am"

"Get going!" said Rose sharply and then turned to Albus again, who was now staring at the sheet covered body blankly, all colour drained from his face.

"Don't look there Albus! Where. Is. Scorpius?" asked Rose searching his face for an answer, but frowned when she saw his eyes plastered to the body passing them.

"There he is", replied Albus in a voice of complete disbelief, looking at the body pointedly.

Rose felt her insides go cold as soon as he had said it. There was no way Albus could be right! Scorpius was yet to come inside the hospital. He swore that he would take care of himself. He wouldn't just get injured like that. He had promised that he would come back safe and sound. He was Scorpius for the love of Merlin! He never broke the promises he made. He would never hurt her! She knew that, damn it!

But then her eyes fell on the bloody hand hanging limply from the left side of the stretcher, which bounced lightly as the stretcher moved ahead. The very familiar, now bloody gold band on the ring finger of the body confirmed that the dying person was indeed, her husband.

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**AN:-**

***Goes into hiding***

**Uh, review??****PS: Merry Christmas and Happy New Year in advance!**


	19. Living On A Prayer

**Two Months, internet issues, and a broken arm later...**

**Hope you guys are still there to read the fic..**

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**Disclaimer: All characters recognisable belong to JKR. No copyright infringement intended.**

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**19. Living On A Prayer**

Ten hours.

Ten unbelievably long hours.

Time was sometimes a complete bitch. Ten fucking hours and no bloody word on how Scorpius was doing.

Albus sighed as he seated himself on the crowded bench. Next to him, Astoria Malfoy was sniffing, while her husband Draco had his arms around her, his face extremely bloodless as he looked at her. Once in a while, he whispered, "It's ok. He's going to be alright", in his wife's ears, making his wife whimper before she burst into a fresh bout of tears.

His eyes fell on the couple in front of him. Hermione Weasley was rocking slightly while her granddaughter slept peacefully in her arms. Once in a while tears fell from her eyes, and she swiped her hand furiously across her cheeks, making sure her tears never fell on Amelia. Her eyes shifted to her husband sitting on her right, who was instead looking rather worriedly at their daughter standing in a corner.

Rose's eyes were wide open and extremely red. She had wound her arms tightly around herself and was breathing rather heavily, staring at the door of the operating ward, waiting for someone to come out and tell them that Scorpius was just fine.

Rose had screamed and shouted at her seniors, _begging_ them to allow her to help save her husband. But they had refused straightaway, saying that she was currently emotionally distressed and therefore, ineligible to work on _anyone_, much less her husband.

However, while she was in the operating room debating with the senior healers, she had seen Scorpius's lifeless form and had _fainted_, which is what had shocked Albus the most. According to him, Rose was one of the strongest and bravest people he had ever met. She wouldn't flinch at the sight of a skull cracking. And she was a healer, for the love of Merlin! She was supposed to be okay with these things. Just as much as Albus was curious about what really made Rose faint, he was just as scared to know what really lay underneath that linen sheet. The entire sheet was stained. There was just _so_ _much blood…_

He felt a gentle pressure on his shoulder. He looked up to see that it was Elora, looking extremely upset as she handed him his coffee. He tried to say something but no voice came out. The shock and possibility of losing his best friend had made him incapable of doing anything. She however seemed to have understood him. She nodded subtly and pressed a kiss to his hair, sniffling slightly.

He looked at her again and found the dried tear tracks on her cheeks. She looked towards Rose and then back at him, a choked sob escaping her.

This is so not what he had expected when he finally saw Elora again. He had believed that he would finally be with her and their baby at Burrow, having a fantastic Christmas party, meet his entire family once again, sit by the Christmas tree and singing carols, and finally be alone with Elora and let her know just how much he missed her and know how much he missed out on.

He wished things were that easy. But since he was half-Potter and half-Weasley and had a Malfoy for a best friend, things were bound to mess up.

Everything had been great after they had finally managed to overcome those murderers. They had managed to capture two alive. They were the new age death eaters, people who could not stand Muggleborns mingling with the wizarding world. However, their movement did not gather as much steam because the wizarding world was tired of wars. There were tougher laws guarding the population, and Harry Potter was the head of the Auror department of a country so no one doubted that the Aurors graduating from the Academy in England under his supervision were the finest skilled wizards in the world. So anyone wanting to start a revolution now had nothing to lose. And people of that sort were very few in number.

Those two were sentenced to be given the Dementor's kiss, when they got an anonymous note at the Ministry of France, saying "The sun has just started setting, the real darkness is about to come." The prisoners claimed that the note was from their leader who they addressed as "Milord". They said that he would hunt them down and kill them, because of the oath they had taken which made them prefer death over imprisonment. They were terrified and were willing to testify and provide them with all the information they could give before their leader could kill more innocent Muggleborns. In return, they wanted safety from their master till he was caught.

The Ministries of France, England, and Italy fought over who got to take care of the prisoners. Ministry of England had won because they had the strongest Auror team, and they had claimed that without their help, the criminals would never have been caught. The Aurors did not take much time to decide when they should go because they knew they had to leave as soon as possible before the leader of the murderous gang found out about this. They had the Portkey connected to the alley right behind Mungo's, thinking that it was one of the last places the Aurors were expected to take criminals.

But their assumption had been wrong. They had just come out of the alley, the criminals and the Aurors dressed as normal people and looked nothing out of ordinary. The criminals had enough jinxes on them that made sure they couldn't escape, especially when Scorpius and Teddy were the ones in charge of keeping an eye on them, and chances of escaping were next to nothing. As they were about to enter the building, their feet froze. Before Albus could turn to look at his baffled colleagues, a noise that he hadn't ever heard before shook the world around him. He felt his feet leaving the ground, and for a split second he was flying. He landed on a car few yards away from him, the side of his face landing on the windshield.

Every joint in his body was screaming in pain as he had lifted himself up. He had blinked furiously, begging for the dust to clear. When his ears had regained hearing, he could hear screams around him. He had coughed violently as he felt someone pulling him to his feet. It turned out to be Uncle Ron who looked relieved to see him alive.

He had wanted to enquire about the blast, but the dust had cleared and the sight in front of him made him speechless.

The front portions of the ground and first floor of Mungo's had been blown apart. He had seen the terrified witches and wizards peeking out of the damaged hospital, their wands out trying to recreate the barrier that shielded them from the Muggle world. His stomach churned violently when his eyes fell on the mangled mess in front of the hospital. The stench of blood was too strong and he had felt his head spinning. His uncle had grabbed him and had shaken him hard, telling him to avoid looking at the mess, gather himself and walk inside the hospital before any one else got hurt. His eyes had searched the mess for any sign of any people he knew. He couldn't recognize any back then and had walked straight into the hospital, hoping that Scorpius and Teddy were alive, if not unscathed.

But he had been so wrong.

He could see healers going in and coming out of the Room. He watched in horror as all of them seemed to be muttering instructions furiously; one potion after the other were being brought to the room. Scorpius was being worked upon in the SICOW or Special Intensive Care Operating Ward. Albus knew enough about Healing by now to be able to tell that the patients in SICOW were the ones who were just an inch away from death. His blood ran cold at the thought of Scorpius dying…His gaze fell on Rose who was following the Healers around, trying to get some information on how her husband was doing. But all they had managed to give her was pitiful looks and shakes of their heads.

_Come on Scorpius! You can do this! Just be all right for Rosie's sake, for Amy's sake…Please__..._

He hadn't realized that he was shaking terribly till he felt Elora wrapping her arms around him. She gently ran her hand across his cheeks, wiping the tears that had made its way down his face.

"Any news?" came a new voice. Albus turned to see his father walking towards Ron, his face extremely pale.

"No", said Ron dejectedly, rubbing his forehead, "The kid was torn up bad. Rosie fainted after seeing his body. Merlin knows what really happened to him. How is it at the Ministry?"

"Utter chaos," said Harry Potter bitterly, "Reporters are flooding the Ministry. They were giving Shacklebolt a rough time. Then they got after me and questioned my decision on including a—" he paused, giving Draco Malfoy a pitiful look, "Death Eater's son in the plan. They all insinuated that Scorpius might have been behind it all and must have killed those two to keep his secret safe."

"That's ridiculous!" said Ron, looking enraged, "Talk about deteriorating quality of journalism. What did you say to them?"

"Told them to shove it," said Harry, and Ron snorted, earning them dirty looks from people around them.

"So about the Muggles who have been killed...?"

"Yeah well…"

Albus tuned their conversation out, his blood boiling as he heard what the journalists insinuated. Hadn't people gotten over their prejudices already? He remembered the murmurs that had taken place when Scorpius had gotten selected for Auror training, but they had subsided with time, especially when Scorpius was declared one of the finest Aurors to ever graduate from the Auror Academy.

Why hadn't _he_ volunteered to take care of the prisoners?! Why was he such an idiot to let Scorpius take care of the criminals? He'd rather die than his own best friend.

He looked again at Rose who was staring blankly at the wall in front of her and felt immense guilt burn him up from the inside. He had _promised_ her that he wouldn't let Scorpius get hurt, and he had failed to deliver that promise. He was an awful, _awful_ person.

Albus' ears perked up as he heard the door to Scorpius' room open. He looked at the door, watching dejected looking Healers coming out. His heart sank as they all muttered "I'm sorry" to Rose, whose eyes went wide, and face paled instantly. She looked at the last and the most wizened wizard coming out of the room with the last string of hope. He looked quite shell-shocked.

"_Please_, Healer Waltham," she pleaded, shaking miserably as she went closer to him, "Please tell me my husband's fine."

"Please," begged Albus, who had joined them. The world around him was spinning rapidly as if someone grabbed his windpipe and squeezed it brutally, making it difficult for him to breathe.

Scorpius could not die. He just couldn't.

The rest of the family too moved towards where they were standing. Astoria looked close to fainting whereas Draco held on to her, his face twisted in anguish. Healer Waltham seemed bewildered as he looked at all of them.

"He was torn up very badly," he started, "We did as much as we could. His skin and inner organs have been repaired. However, we thought he wasn't going to make it—"

"What do you mean 'we thought', Daniel?" asked a Healer close to them, indignantly, "His heart had stopped beating and there was no option of getting a transplant in such dire conditions. He was _dead_!"

"We were wrong, Sam!" interrupted Waltham before anyone could react to the word 'dead', "The moment I was about to leave the room, the young man breathed! I checked his pulse. It is almost back to normal! The Revival Potion has finally worked on him!"

"So you mean to say we were wrong?!"

"Yes. Healers can be wrong at times."

"So you are saying—"

"Scorpius is fine?! He's going to be alright?!" asked Ron, a look of absolute relief on her face.

"I didn't think so, but he has a strong pulse, and is currently somehow awake. He'll be back on his feet within a few days for sure!"

Albus felt as if somebody had pulled him out the sea he was drowning in. He felt his insides becoming infinitely times lighter, and a grin broke on his face.

Scorpius was going to be fine. Seriously! Why on earth was he so worried?!

Everybody turned to look at Rose, who was still looking pale and shaking miserably.

"Rosie!" said Albus happily, wrapping an arm around her "Did you hear that? Scorpius is alive. He will be back on his feet in no time."

Rose turned to look him mutely, and blinked. She quickly shoved his arm off, and pushed the door to Scorpius' room open despite the Healer saying, "Not ye—!"

Albus quickly followed Rose into the room. The room was huge and spotless white with the sunlight streaming in from the windows opposite the door. Scorpius was lying on a bed in the center of the room, with eyes slightly open. The white sheets covered his body from the toes till the chest. He looked ghostly pale, which Albus supposed had to do with excessive loss of blood. He had dark circles around his eyes, few scars on his face and one ghastly looking scar running from his left cheek till his abdomen, it seemed. Both his arms were bandaged heavily. There were no scary looking appliances of sorts seen in Muggle hospitals. Other than a long table in the corner containing Scorpius' bloody organs, a few chairs for the visitors, and a young female healer, the room was empty and surprisingly clean. He may have been living in the magical world, but things like these never ceased to surprise him.

Albus saw Scorpius' lips twisted upwards in a faint hint of a smirk as Rose approached him slowly, eyes wide open.

"Weasley," he croaked, his voice extremely gruff, "Haven't you ever been told that you look hideous when you cry?"

"You know what Malfoy," said Rose angrily, tears spilling from her eyes, "I don't give a damn! Didn't you understand when I told you to FUCKING TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF?!?"

Albus suppressed a snort as he heard Rose swear. He was sure that he would never see the day when she would swear. But then today was a day when anything one _didn't_ expect happened.

"Rose!" came Healer Waltham's voice as he entered the room, looking scandalized, "This is a Hospital! Please keep your volume down. Your husband has barely recovered as of yet! Do you really want these words to be your first when you see your husband after a long time?! It is extremely inappropriate."

Albus suppressed another snort as Waltham said that.

Who was he kidding? The welcome was as appropriate as it could be.

* * *

Ryan slowly opened his eyes as feeling the bright sunlight hit his face. He yawned widely before he realized he had a weight on his chest. He looked down to see a very familiar redhead sleeping peacefully with her head on his chest, and arms wrapped around his waist.

_How on earth—?_

He continued looking at Lily, memories of the previous night flashing by. Everything that had happened was absolutely unexpected. He hadn't expected that kissing her was like breathing in fresh mountain air. He hadn't expected to be blown away when he saw her naked for the first time. He hadn't expected that during their lovemaking, he wouldn't think about Rose even once. He hadn't expected to cherish each and every moment he had with her the previous night. And last of all, he hadn't expected just how much he wanted her.

To say that he was surprised by how passionate the encounter turned out to be, was an understatement of epic proportions. Her soft lips melting against his had ignited an inferno in him that just had to be extinguished. Her cries of his name, her soft moans, her nails digging in his skin had fuelled his desire rather than fulfilling it. And the way she looked at him while they moved together, made his blood boil. It had been a long time since he had seen such passion in someone's eyes that were meant for _him. _

Was she in love with him?

He hoped not.

Ryan knew he was attracted to Lily, and perhaps he liked her as well. But he supposed it had to do with the fact that she was just so nice with him and kept him happy in his darkest times. Love was too strong a word to be used. It was a word that had to be used with extreme caution, for if misused, the effects could be catastrophic.

He didn't want to lead her on. She was extremely brilliant who deserved so much better than the scum he was. He just wasn't ready to commit to anyone when he was so hung up on his last love.

But Lily could make him forget his sadness in the moments they were together. He hadn't believed that he would connect emotionally connect with a woman other than Rose, but he was wrong. Lily turned out to be the female friend he needed. It had barely been a month since they got reacquainted, but he had been able to bare his soul out to her. In the moments he had spent with her and Amelia, everything seemed so perfect that he knew he wouldn't trade those moments with anyone for anything.

So was he willing to sacrifice something that had the potential to be magical just because of his insecurities and doubts on how it might actually turn out?

His eyes fell on her bare shoulders and all of a sudden he was very much aware of her naked body pressed against his. Feeling his body react, he tried to lift her arms from around his body while at the same time trying to avoid waking her up. But his efforts had been futile for she started stirring at his mere touch.

He watched as she blinked, and looked up at him, eyes widening in surprise.

She gave him a sleepy smile and mumbled, "Hey."

Ryan wondered if there was something wrong with him because the moment she gave him that beatific smile, he forgot how to think. Her tousled red hair contrasted greatly with her extremely fair skin, her beautiful brown eyes stood out more than ever, and the soft expression on her face as she watched him made her look breathtaking.

Maybe giving them a chance wouldn't be a bad idea.

"Hey", he smiled softly, as she slowly got up to kiss him tenderly on his mouth. He knew trying to stop himself was a lost cause, and he sat up along with her, his hands curving around her neck pulling her face closer to his. Before he knew it, he had her pinned to the bed, his mouth and hands exploring her body, tracing the path he had taken countless number of times the previous night. She pulled him up to kiss him, her small hands running over his back. He nipped at her neck as their hips met, feeling her arch against him. He hissed softly as Lily's teeth dug in his shoulder blades as she tried to muffle her scream, and too soon for his liking, it was over.

"Wow", she breathed as they fell back against the sheets, sated and sweaty, "I don't think I'll be able to move for a week now."

"I know", he said, turning to his right to face her, "I'm the king, aren't I?"

Whatever they had was _brilliant._ No other word summed it up better. All that he wanted to do now was tell her. But he had no clue how.

Lily cocked her eyebrow, "I wouldn't really go that far…" she teased.

He looked closely at her, watching her lips turn upwards in a faint hint of a smirk, and he realized that he preferred the smile more. Wanting to wipe that smirk off, he started, "Really? Well Rose always—"

Lily stiffened beside him and he swore mentally. He had to ruin this moment for them.

The silence thickened, suffocating him. He looked at her, mentally begging her to not react to his little goof-up.

Who was he kidding? Mentioning another's woman name in bed was a big no-no.

"It's all right!" said Lily, jumping up from the bed, startling him, "This was to be only for a night."

Ryan groaned as he saw her looking for her clothes, and putting them on one by one, "Lily, please…"

He couldn't let her go. He had to stop her and let her know what he wanted. She couldn't just leave him!

"I've got to go", she said, her eyes blinking rather rapidly, "I've got lunch at the Burrow at one. It's already ten. Got to get ready. So, see you."

He sputtered as he saw her open the door and exit hurriedly. He stared blankly at the door, hoping that she would come back so that he could tell her that he wanted to give them a shot and that he wanted to be with her.

It seemed as if he was paying the price for his misdeeds years ago.

Why on earth did he have to be such a prick!?!

* * *

"Do I still have to take those potions?"

"Yes."

"All twenty seven of them?"

"Yes!"

"But I am fine, aren't I? My skin is glowing—"

"It's not funny, Scorpius. Those potions will help in quick healing."

"But they taste disgusting!"

"Stop being a baby!" said Rose exasperatedly, as she held a vial of blue coloured potion in her hands, "Come on now. Bottoms up!"

"Which one is this one?" asked Scorpius skeptically, as he took the vial from her and eyed his drink suspiciously.

"The Clot Potion; helps control bleeding. Just drink it and the bandages will come off in another two hours."

"Rose, I have been here for four days now. When will I be allowed to leave Mungo's?"

"Depends on how dutifully you take your potions!" she said, losing her patience. Grabbing the vial from him, she clutched his jaw and forced the potion down his throat.

"MERLIN, ROSE! That fucking hurts!!" roared Scorpius, his eyes watering immediately as he pushed her hand away from his jaw. Rose instantly regretted her decision of grabbing Scorpius' jaw and spilling the potion in his mouth. His skull was still recovering, apparently, since his jaw seemed to be in tender condition.

"I am so sorry!" she exclaimed worriedly, "I thought—"

"That's right, you thought!" said Scorpius scathingly, leaning against the propped up pillows on the bed and stretching his legs leisurely, "Honestly, Weasley, sometimes you think too much."

Rose felt her heart clench as she heard him use that tone, the tone that had the talent to make her feel like a hurt six year old girl. In the past four days, Scorpius gave no sign, absolutely no sign that he remembered what had happened before he left for the mission. He was treating her the way he treated her before they had gotten married. He was a lot _nicer _after they had gotten married. If he hadn't recognized Amelia, she would have been under the impression that he had lost his memory.

While he had been away, Rose's imagination went into overdrive regarding what would happen when Scorpius would return. But now it seemed that it might take some time before that even happens. This was the first time she had him completely to herself. Her shift didn't start for another two hours, and everybody had finally left, dropping in only once in a while to check on him. Albus had left with Amelia two hours ago, and now there was nobody else with them. She was hoping for a 'I missed you', or maybe even a kiss. But things hadn't quite been that way.

He seemed distant from her. She felt as if the intimacy they had had disappeared somewhere. There was no difference in the way he treated Albus and her. She had even dressed up a little and done various things to get his attention, but no avail at all. Had he really forgotten those heart-stopping, earth-shattering moments, or had he forgotten them all?

"Scorpius?" she asked tentatively, hoping against hope, "Do you remember anything that happened before you left?"

"Why? What had happened before I left?" asked Scorpius, raising his eyebrows, "I can't really recall anything…"

Her heart hammered in her chest as she heard his words.

_Oh dear G__od, has he forgotten it all?!_

"Don't you remember confessing something to me?" asked Rose, not really knowing if she wanted to hear his answer.

"I had confessed something?" asked Scorpius surprised, "What exactly did I tell you?"

Rose started feeling really worried.

"That you were in love with me," she said quietly, feeling her insides becoming cold.

Scorpius stared at her for a moment before bursting into laughter.

"Rose!!! You have a terrible sense of humor!" he gasped, still laughing hard, "Why would I say something as preposterous as that?! I do love you but not in the way you think I do!!!"

Rose felt as if a bludger had hit her in the stomach, knocking the wind out of her, her insides disappearing instantly. She felt tears stinging her eyes as the current scenario crashed upon her.

Scorpius didn't love her. Had he lied before he left? But it wasn't possible! Why would Scorpius lie about being in love with her? It just didn't make any sense at all!!

She looked at him through her tear-filled eyes, watching him as he looked back at her worriedly.

"Rose, are you okay?" he asked, his brows furrowing.

"I'm fine—absolutely fine," she choked out, feeling as if somebody had ripped out her heart and she was bleeding to death.

All of it had been a sham. Everything that had happened till now was one. Her dreams of having a proper family with Scorpius would perhaps always be dreams. She remembered the time when Scorpius had broken her heart for the first time unintentionally. It had _hurt._

But thinking that she was so close to getting what she had only ever wanted, and then knowing that she wouldn't get it, at least in the near future…pain for her now had been redefined.

She had to get out of here and let her tears out, or she might do something she currently had no clue about.

Rose ignored the surprised "where are you going?!" from Scorpius as she turned around as moved towards the door. But before she could open the door, she felt Scorpius grabbing her arm and twisting her around to face him. Before she could ask him why he had stopped her or reprimand him for leaving the bed when he is supposed to be resting completely, he planted his lips on hers, making every coherent thought leave her mind.

Her eyes closed of their own accord as the lips that she had been dying to taste were finally on hers. His lips caressed hers gently as he cupped her face with his hands. Her insides, which seemed to have disappeared a few minutes ago, for sure had reappeared because they were twisting in a bizarrely painful yet delightful way. Feeling her chest burn due to lack of oxygen, she pulled away, eyes opening halfway only. She held on to the robe he was wearing, feeling extremely faint.

"I thought that you knew when to take me seriously and when not," said Scorpius huskily, breathing heavily as he brushed his lips against hers, "How can I _not_ remember _this_?"

"I'll kill you if you do that again," whispered Rose, feeling her heart expand in joy and relief, "That one hurt!"

"What makes you think I'll do a repeat performance? And I am very _sorry_."

He captured her lips in a kiss that sent her pulse racing and her mind clouding over with lust. The kiss felt liberating. She had honestly waited so long for this moment. It may have been a little over a month, but it felt like centuries. His lips trailed down her jaw, his tongue moving over the special spot behind her earlobe that always made her crazy. Her hand of its own accord, moved beneath the hem of his shirt, touching his abdomen. He hissed against her skin, pulling her back to reality.

"I'm so sorry!" she squealed, pushing his body a little away from her before _she_ got a little intense.

Scorpius was recovering and there she was trying to get him to sleep with her. She honestly believed she had more self control than _that_.

"Sorry for what?" exclaimed Scorpius, looking amazed, "Rose, I'm fine! My ribs healed yesterday."

"But you are still recovering!"

"Ma'am, I assure you that the uh—_organ_ required for the current activity is functioning perfectly fine!"

"But Scorpius," she said, flushing furiously, "You just had your potions. You should rest. Your arms haven't healed completely. Look at the bandages—"

"Get over it, Rose!" shouted Scorpius, looking annoyed, "I have been conscious for the past four days, and it's only now, I've got you truly alone. I have missed you like anything. I have been going mad seeing you walking around and examining me when all I want to do is kiss the hell out of you and shag your brains out—!"

Rose flushed a brighter red, closing the door to the room. Scorpius was being louder and saying things she knew she did not want others to know.

"—And if you're worrying about me feeling any pain, then don't. You are worth _everything _to me."

Rose hated it when Scorpius talked that way. Everything in her burned in a very, very pleasant way and always made her listen to what he had to say to her.

"That's a lot of trash, you know!" she said. To her horror, she realized that her tone was extremely weak, and from the teasing grin on his face, she was in big trouble.

"Yeah, but then you like it," he smirked, inching closer to her.

She didn't protest at all when he pulled her into his arms and kissed her passionately, his fingers tangling themselves in her hair. Nor did she protest when he pushed her Healer robes off her shoulder.

Protesting seemed a lost cause, all right.

Rose whimpered against his mouth as his coarse, scarred hands slipped under her shirt, over her lower back, pulling her closer to him. She was vaguely aware of him seating her on his bed, his hands now moving over her legging-clad thighs, holding her in that very possessive way that thrilled her to the core.

She clutched his robes in her fingers and pulled him down along with her as she lay on his bed. A faint sound from her surroundings reminded her of the place she was in.

She tried again, her brain extremely foggy and mushy as he gently undid her shirt, his fingers drawing patterns on her revealing skin that gave her goosebumps, "Scorpius—hospital—not right..."

"I always believed," started Scorpius huskily as he sat up a little, meeting her lust-filled gaze that betrayed her, "That there was something incredibly sexy about shagging my wife at her workplace. And you know what? I have never been more turned on."

Rose breathed deeply as she looked at him incredulously, her brain regaining some sense of thinking.

_He wants to shag me now? Here? No way! _

"You do realize that you are one of the lucky ones who have a private ward even though there are people more injured than you are! How can you think of misusing your luck?!" she breathed, trying to not pay attention to his fingers which were moving in circular motion on her arm.

Scorpius breathed heavily and then looked at her, his eyes still dark, "First of all, my parents donate a whole lot of money to this place every year. So I have the right to be admitted in a private ward. Second of all, a person more injured than me would have been dead. The rest are better off. And third of all, you plus I plus a private room is an equation I quite enjoy, so naturally misusing my luck is the way to go."

Rose opened her mouth to retort, but was cut off as Scorpius bruised her mouth with his. She moaned into his mouth as his tongue met hers. Her head was _spinning_ with pleasure. Okay, so shagging was _more_ than an acceptable option.

Her eyes fluttered closed as she felt his one hand slipping behind her back to unhook her bra and the other hand moving tantalizingly slowly towards the button of her skirt. If he didn't do it, Rose was sure she would!

"Healer Ro-OH MY GOD!"

Rose's eyes snapped open as Scorpius groaned into her neck at being interrupted. Blushing furiously, she sat up slowly, buttoning her shirt. She looked at the door to see Scorpius' healer looking mortified as she stared at the floor.

"Yes, Lindsey?" asked Rose weakly, her knees shaking as she got off the bed, and Scorpius fell on his back on it, looking extremely disgruntled.

"Healer Waltham wants to see you. He said he needed to talk to you. Bu-but I suppose you can join him later!"

"No!" said Rose loudly, while Scorpius whined 'she said it was okay to meet him later!', "I'll go now! Lindsey, you'll keep mouth shut about whatever you witnessed!"

Rose knew there was no point in warning the healer. The word would spread around anyway.

"Oh yes!" Lindsey squealed, and she left immediately.

Flushing, Rose turned to look at Scorpius.

"Twelve hours," he said simply, making her look at him in confusion.

"What?"

"For all of Mungo's to know that you seduced your recovering husband and he succumbed to your charms!"

"I did not try to seduce you!" said Rose indignantly, pulling on her healer robes, "It was you who made the first move!"

"Really?" he asked, cocking his head, "You just _had_ to wear that tiny brown skirt and knock things off to the floor and bend quite suggestively! And quite clever on your behalf for leaving the top two buttons undone; got a glimpse good enough that made me want to rip the shirt off your body. And biting your lip in front of me? Honestly woman, what do you think you were playing at??"

If Rose had been blushing before, her entire face was on fire now. Had she really been that obvious?

"We-well", she stammered, trying to come up with a come back, "Shut up!"

Scorpius snorted loudly, "I thought you were capable of coming up with something better than that!"

"Whatever."

"And yes, we are going to finish what we started. Your eyes say it all, Rose. I know you want me."

"Dream on, Malfoy."

"I'll follow you, and once you are done with the conversation, I'll pull you this room and give you a _good_ time, just the way you want it. What do you say?"

With her head held high, she quietly opened the door and left the room without responding.

As she walked to Waltham's office, which was nearby, a wide grin broke on her face. She had been so worried that things might change between her and Scorpius for the worse. But she was glad she was wrong. She honestly couldn't wait for Scorpius to get discharged from Mungo's so that they could sort everything out.

Feeling extremely giddy, she knocked on the office door and entered when she got the required response from inside.

"Your husband's been making excellent progress, Rose," said the senior Healer, his eyes twinkling as he took in Rose's exuberant mood when she entered the room, "I really am amazed at how well he's doing. All his bones gave grown back. All his main organs have grown back. His torn muscles and ligaments will recover in another two days. Who would believe that this man had almost died! The rate at which he's making progress is not normal!"

"But sir", said Rose, beaming positively, "Whatever's ever happened with Scorpius is never normal. He had got this going on almost since he was born, I suppose. I would like to state that his jaw is still hurting, so maybe we need to rethink the amount of Strengthening Potion that was added to Skele-Gro."

"That would be taken care of for sure, meanwhile, have a seat."

Rose sat down, feeling slightly worried as she saw Waltham's expression turning a bit serious.

"Even though Scorpius is physically recovering quite rapidly, his mental health is the area of concern currently."

"What do you mean?"

"We all know that a person who has gone through a traumatizing experience usually goes through post-traumatic stress. The greater and the more disturbing the trauma is, the longer the stress prevails. It can become quite lethal if the stress is allowed to get the better off him. Tragedies can either being people together or tear them apart. He made out alive when everybody had written him off. He might become extremely possessive and protective of his family and friends because the recent brush with death might have made him realize the people he might have lost. Please make sure that he always has some company."

"But Healer Waltham", said Rose, feeling some of the happiness ebb away, "Scorpius hasn't shown any signs of depression."

"It is because you have never seen him act that way. At night, when you go back home with your daughter, Lindsey has reported that Scorpius does become quite irritable and prefers it if he is left alone. She also has noticed his habit of sitting on his bed and staring at the walls for hours. Idle minds are the most dangerous ones. He should not be given any idle time to dwell on what had happened to him."

Rose let out a breath she hadn't realized she had been holding. She sank back in her seat, letting her senior's words wash over her.

How could she have forgotten the stress that came after a huge tragedy? Was she so relieved about Scorpius being alive that she forgot about the delicate way he was currently supposed to be handled in? Why hadn't Scorpius confided in her regarding his problems? He hadn't shied away earlier.

"Okay," she said slowly, "So what needs to be done?"

"As I said, never leave him alone. Try and keep him in as cheerful an atmosphere as possible. He may need a constant reassurance that people he loves would never leave him. Shower him with love. There _are_ going to be noticeable differences in his behaviour, some of which you might have noticed already. Avoid all the bad news possible for the time being," he paused to ruffle through the medical report in his hands, "He happens to have about two dozens of potions everyday, which is a constant reminder of what he has gone through. Hormones too can manipulate his mood…"

Rose resisted the urge to do a James, and let out a low whistle as Waltham ratted out the various side-effects possible. There was a long road ahead to complete recovery. For a second, Rose wondered if she would be able to handle it all, if they were going pull through the tunnel.

But then, the thought lasted only a second. She was half-Weasley, half-Granger! Determination and the will to succeed were in her blood. She knew she would never give up on him. She always had faith in him, and always would. They would succeed with flying colors.

"…Coming to when he can leave Mungo's, I'll suggest another two to three days. We'll do some final tests on him, and if he passes, he's free to leave."

Rose gave him a small smile, "So I guess I better get back. Scorpius might be getting a little impatient."

"Of course," he said as she got up from her seat, "But once you do enter his room, please close the door properly and use a silencing charm if you need!"

She froze in her way to the door, and turned to look at Waltham incredulously. He gave her a small wink, and turned to rustle through Scorpius' medical report.

She groaned inwardly as she got a feeling that Waltham might have been the little source of noise that she had heard earlier while Scorpius was kissing the crap out of her. When she reached the door, she realized that the door had been closed halfway only, effectively hiding Scorpius who was standing outside, and looking at her guiltily. He _had_ followed her, just like he had claimed. Rose felt her heart clench as she realized that he had heard everything they had discussed, and everything Waltham had said was in fact true.

"I promise I'll cooperate", he whispered, staring at the floor, his ears flushing an endearing shade of red, making her smile. She really had missed this trait of his. He looked up at her to meet her gaze, and she saw the promise in his eyes. He took her hand in hers and squeezed it reassuringly. Now they knew they both had each other. Getting over obstacles wouldn't be much of a problem now. She opened her mouth to speak when Waltham called her.

"Yes?" she asked, turning around to face her senior.

"Is there someone at the door??" he asked, frowning.

"No. Not at all," she said swiftly, now facing him completely and pushing the door further to it's frame to hide Scorpius. She still hadn't let go of his hand and had effectively blocked the view of their entangled fingers from Waltham.

"There is something else I need to talk to you about. It is something I had discovered yesterday while going through Scorpius' report. I didn't know when would be the right time to bring it up, but I figured it is better to let you know now rather than later."

"Okay."

"You already have a child, right?"

"Yes," she said, quite unsure of where the Waltham was heading.

"Are you planning to have more?"

"Yes. Definitely."

Waltham sighed as he finally put the report down on his table. He took off his glasses and looked at her seriously.

"Scorpius has been having twenty seven potions a day for the past four days, and may have to continue the intake for at least a week. And most of them have black rain scarab powder, which we know can cause long-term infertility if taken in large quantities."

Rose felt Scorpius' fingers becoming limp in hers letting her know that he too had heard what Waltham had said.

"So you're saying Scorpius and I won't be able to have children anymore?" asked Rose, feeling faint. Her heart seemed to have stopped and fallen right through her ribcage to onto her stomach.

Waltham looked at her sadly. "He would be consuming more than the borderline healthy amount, which would lead to irreversible infertility. However, I'll get in touch with Healer Kerensky about this. She can let you know about the various options available. I didn't see this coming; I am very sorry, Rose."

Rose felt Scorpius pulling away from her grip. And she didn't stop him.

She nodded at Waltham for the last time and moved out of the door, absolute disbelief filling her.

Why wasn't anything ever fair in her life? She had feelings for Scorpius when she was eleven, but they weren't reciprocated until nearly fifteen years later! When she found out that her feelings were returned, Scorpius had to disappear off to Paris to look for Muggle-killing filth. And when he had finally returned, he had returned almost dead. And when he did end up surviving, Rose knew that all she wanted to do was to finally be his wife and live life happily ever after. But since Lady Luck was being ever so kind to her, she had to snatch away the happiness that was coming their way.

She blinked when she realized that she had reached Scorpius' room. She looked inside to see Scorpius curled into a ball on his bed, eyes shut tight. She walked towards him, her insides crumbling with each step forward. She knew he loved Amelia, but she also knew how much he wanted to have his own children as well.

She sat down on the bed so that his back was facing her.

"Scorpius," she whispered, shaking him slightly, mentally begging him to wake up and say _something_. Opening up emotionally had always been a task very difficult for him. He called it a sign of weakness and he had claimed that he was not weak. It had always been that way ever since they became friends. She hoped desperately that he wouldn't shut out pain as he used to before. It may just make things worse.

She waited for five minutes for him to respond, but he didn't even open his eyes.

"I have my shift starting in about ten minutes", lied Rose for her shift started over an hour later, "So I have to leave."

She again looked at him, waiting for him to say something. Ignoring the sinking feeling in her stomach, she got up from the bed and bent down to press a kiss to the side of his head.

She coughed loudly as she stood up straight and swiped her hands furiously across her cheeks as tears escaped her eyes.

"Bye," she whispered, "If you need me, let me know."

She turned around and exited the room swiftly.

The road to recovery was not just long any more. It was longer _and_ toughe_r_.

* * *

**AN:-****  
****I know it has been a long time since i updated. Got myself involved in a lil Ski accident. Epitome of grace, moi. :'(**

**  
****Or may be it happened because I dared to injure Scorpius.****I know things are not really looking up for our favourite couple but then life cannot always be fun and games..right?****I have no clue if Black Scarabs can induce low motility. So Dont sue me.****Please, PLEASE share your thoughts on this chapter...even if you hated it...I love to hear from you guys and it would be great to hear from you once again! :)**


	20. Home Sweet Home

**T****his chapter was done nearly two weeks ago. But my beta and her computer have not been keeping well. I haven't introduced the lovely Jackie aka ****Principessa Dell'Opera**** to you, now have I? **

**I am such a terrible person!! :(**

**Jackie, I'm really sorry for such a late introduction!!, **

**But you rock..and I hope you get well soon!! :D**

* * *

**Disclaimer: All recognsable characters belong to JKR. No copyright infringement intended.**

* * *

**20. ****Home Sweet Home.**

Rose had hoped that Scorpius would be able to open up to her more after a few hours with the news regarding his infertility, and be willing to share his pains with her. It had done quite the opposite.

He had closed himself to her, now more than ever. He barely talked to her, or even looked at her. Every sign of ignorance from his side cut her deeply from within. And she was absolutely clueless about how to move on with her life and put the tragedies in the past, when the person she was supposed to move on with refused to hold her hand and walk with her.

The others, too, seemed to have sensed the tension between them. Rose refused to answer when dogged with questions. She felt that if Scorpius wanted to tell them, he would let them know.

They however seemed to have gotten the point, and preferred talking to Scorpius about the trees and the deteriorating cold weather, trying to incite responses from him. Rose noticed the efforts made on Scorpius' behalf, which saddened her because she knew that Scorpius was one of those very few people who could strike a conversation with anyone _effortlessly_.

She got a glimpse of the past Scorpius only when he was around Amelia. The twinkle in his eye, the grin on his lips lasted till Amelia was in his arms. However there was a sense of urgency in the way he held her, almost as if he would lose her. She tried to reassure him, but then again her assurances were falling on deaf ears.

Rose turned to look at Scorpius as he stood by the window with Amelia in his arms. He was describing the view outside rather animatedly, while Amelia giggled and pointed out things that caught her eye. Rose turned back to folding Scorpius' clothes and putting them in a bag.

He was finally allowed to go back home, and she couldn't help but feel a little hopeful that perhaps since Scorpius was leaving the ominous atmosphere of Mungo's, he would go back to being the man that he was, sooner than anticipated.

"Rose!"

She turned to look at the door to see Raymond at the door of the room, leaning casually against the wall.

"I have been looking all over the place for you. Have you forgotten me, love?"

Rose grimaced, "I wish."

"How well you lie, Rosie dear!" he said, now walking into the room towards her, "I was wondering if you and I could have lunch together today. I need to discuss Melanie's report with you."

"That you can discuss without having to lunch together," came Scorpius' curt voice.

Rose turned again to look at Scorpius, who was now approaching them and looked extremely annoyed.

"Ah! You must be her husband!" said Raymond happily, extending his hand in front of Scorpius to shake his, "I'm Raymond Williams, second in charge to the pediatric ward. I am sorry I couldn't meet you earlier. Was quite busy."

"And suddenly you are free enough to go out for a lunch with _my wife_?" replied Scorpius quite rudely, eyeing Raymond's extended hand in distaste.

Rose felt a perverse thrill running up her spine as she heard the jealous tone in Scorpius' voice. She hid a smile behind her hand as she finally saw a sign that all wasn't lost.

"Well I can make myself free for her! Which single man wouldn't want to be spotted lunching with this stunning a woman?"

Rose caught the livid look on Scorpius' face and interrupted immediately, "Lunch is not possible now, Ray. Scorpius is being discharged today, and I'm leaving with him. I'll come to collect the reports in another few minutes."

Raymond looked at Scorpius' expression amusedly and then turned to Rose, "I suppose you haven't really told your husband about me. Anyway, I'll see you tomorrow. Take care."

Then turning to Scorpius, he said, "It was nice meeting you. Got to dash."

The moment Raymond left the room Scorpius muttered angrily, "I don't like him."

"Please don't take him seriously," she said turning away so that she could hide the silly grin breaking on her face, "He hits on every married woman around. I have gotten used to it by now."

"I don't like the way he talks about you, or even looks at you."

"Scorpius," she breathed, turning around to face him, "Raymond Williams is no reason to get jealous."

"Jealous?!" said Scorpius indignantly, while Amelia giggled, as if she understood the current scenario, "I am not jealous. Why should I be jealous? I was merely _indignant_ for he was about you in a very derogatory manner. No one should ever talk about women in that manner."

"That was not derogatory," exclaimed Rose, her hands flying to her hips and fixing him with a glare, "Derogatory is '_Mariah Welsh's tits are bigger than Adrienne Clearwater's. Bet I can't get my hands around them!'_"

Scorpius stared at her with his mouth slightly open for a few seconds, dumbfounded. She raised her eyebrow, challenging him to defend himself.

"I cannot believe Albus told you that," said Scorpius slowly, narrowing his eyes.

"He told me a lot more than that. Albus is my best friend as well, you know," said Rose looking smug for a second and then dropped her stance. She gently placed her hands on his chest, and looked at him seriously, "But honestly, you have got _nothing_ to worry about. Raymond Williams is truly inconsequential."

Scorpius looked back at her for what seemed like hours. And then slowly, his face broke into a warm smile that always made her weak in the knees. And since it was the first time he had smiled at her that way in a very long time, the effect on her was enormous. He leaned his head down to meet her lips, taking her by surprise, but she returned the kiss, loving the way his arm snaked around her waist, pulling her closer. She would have continued kissing him—and perhaps do a lot more—if only Amelia hadn't burst into tears due to getting sandwiched between her parents.

"Guess the little girl isn't too happy with the attention her daddy is getting," whispered Rose, her eyes twinkling as Scorpius rubbed soothing circles on his daughter's back, "Maybe Mommy should stop giving him special attention."

Scorpius looked at her in mock horror, making her burst into laughter. True laughter. She couldn't even remember the last time she had laughed so openly.

"I'll be back with the reports," she said, still chuckling and feeling lighter than she had felt in _days_. She left the room to move towards the Common Room for healers. She spotted a bunch of folders on one of the coffee tables in the room, with her name written on a piece of paper placed atop the folders. Picking them hurriedly, she exited the room only to stop dead in her tracks.

Ryan Smith was standing a few yards away from her, talking to one of the female healers, who was looking rather starry-eyed.

_What is he doing here?! __Perhaps I could make an exit without him noticing._

She breathed deeply and tried to move stealthily past him, but he saw her and called out her name.

She froze and turned around, dreading what he wanted to talk about this time. She was quite sure that if he tried to talk about them getting back together once again, she would punch him in front everyone, and wouldn't care at all if the incident made the front page of Daily Prophet. She looked around, saw that people in the corridor were looking at Ryan approaching her. So maybe slapping him wasn't a good idea; she might get mobbed by his fans at Mungo's.

"I heard about Scorpius," began Ryan looking at her worriedly. "Is he all right?"

"Are you asking me if he is all right or if he's dead already?"

He looked back at her as if she had slapped him. "I never—"

"What are you doing here?" she asked suspiciously, not wanting to talk to him longer than necessary.

"I was getting a few tests done. Haven't been keeping well."

"Okay. I better get goi—" Ryan raised his hand to make her stop talking.

"I know I promised to stay out of your life and all, but I really need to talk to you," he said, his eyes darting around nervously.

"About what?"

"Can we go somewhere where we can have some privacy? Believe me; you don't want anyone to know about it."

Rose narrowed her eyes at him dangerously for a second. What could he possibly want from her now?

She shrugged and moved to the Common Room, which was thankfully empty.

"You've got five minutes," she said sternly as she closed the door to the room.

"I want to be able to see Amelia once in a while."

Her eyes popped out of her skull as he said it. She must have surely misheard him.

"What?" she whispered harshly, now glaring at him.

"Don't bar me from seeing my own daughter. I need visitation rights."

"You know that's not possible."

"She doesn't even need to know that I am her real father. I just want to be with her once in a while."

"What if we don't allow you to do that? You know Scorpius has issues with seeing me around you, forget seeing you with Amelia!"

"If you don't let me see her, I swear every living soul in the Wizarding world would know that you had my child and then I would fight over her custody."

She caught her breath in her throat. He sounded very serious. As if he meant every syllable in his sentence.

"You wouldn't do that," she whispered, now slightly scared. He couldn't possibly ruin everything she had built over time, now would he?

"If you force me to, then I will," said Ryan, his eyes blazing in anger.

"And why do you all of a sudden feel the need to reconnect with your daughter when you had promised me that you would stay out of our lives?"

Rose saw Ryan's mouth open to respond to her question, but at that moment the door opened and she felt her blood freeze as Albus entered the room.

"Hey, I have been looking for you all ov—"

She swore mentally as she saw Albus fall silent when he noticed Ryan in the room as well. Ryan looked back at him, and all of a sudden she could feel the temperature drop steadily in the room. Before they could start a war of words, she started, "So I'll send you your reports soon enough."

Ryan looked at her sharply for second and then nodded, "Sure. But do send them on time, Weasley!" he said bitingly, making her wince slightly, "I do not want to come back here."

He turned around swiftly, glared at Albus for a second and left the room.

"What the fuck was he doing here?" asked Albus coldly.

"He had gotten a few tests done," said Rose, feeling slightly nervous as he eyed her sharply.

"I hope he dies."

Rose flinched, "You don't mean that," she said calmly.

He sighed, "What he did to my sister was unforgivable, but yes, I didn't mean what I said."

"How come you are here? Scorpius' room is on the floor above this one if you remember quite clearly."

"I came to meet you. Just wanted to inform you that all the guests have arrived at your place."

"All right. We'll take off in a few minutes from here. Have you—?"

"Rose, are you all right?"

She eyed her cousin cautiously before answering slowly, "Yeah. Why?"

"Just felt some tension between you and Scorpius. So I was kind of worried."

Rose smiled weakly at him, "You are not the first one to ask me that."

"I know," said Albus smiling back at her. "And since I did not want to be left out, I asked you. You can tell me everything, Rosie. Is everything all right between you and Scorpius?"

She looked at her best friend, contemplating over the best response she could give him without giving much away.

"No," she said honestly, "But with time it will be. He is a little shaken up about the whole incident."

Albus sighed sadly and then nodded at her, "He has been through a lot more than we did. And he is the only one who knows what exactly happened out there, which is why the entire Ministry is waiting for him to get discharged from Mungo's so that he can be questioned. I mean, we also know what is going on, but they won't really take our word."

"Can't they spare him for a few weeks?" asked Rose angrily, "He's barely recovered!"

"Apparently the world can't wait for the truth to come out!" said Albus bitterly, before sighing. "Come on now. When I had left, Mr. Malfoy and Uncle Ron had gotten into an argument. I have a feeling that if we are not there soon enough, they might just burn the house down."

* * *

The welcome party had gone smoother than she had expected. Draco and her father had definitely stopped arguing verbally by the time they had arrived. But as the hours went by, changes in their behaviour were hard to miss, hinting that both of them had tried mixing something in each other's drinks. However, after a few hours, when Draco and her father turned into a ferret and a weasel respectively, both parties came to a truce. It felt great to laugh her heart out once again (especially since Astoria and her mother decided to not turn their husbands back to their human form for the night, much to the animals' chagrin) and to get that warm, happy feeling she got whenever she was in a family gathering. Lily sadly hadn't been able to make it because she hadn't been feeling well.

There had been awkward moments when Fred or James had cracked rather unfortunate jokes about Scorpius' accident, but the awkwardness dissolved when everyone saw that Scorpius was the one who had laughed the loudest.

The party was over by ten. After putting Amelia to bed, Scorpius had excused himself to go and take bath because he wanted to get the hospital smell off him. She had started cleaning the post-party mess hoping that Scorpius would join her so then maybe they could have a little alone time of their own. She, however, finished cleaning up within an hour and Scorpius still hadn't come down.

She couldn't help but feel very disappointed when she deduced that he was probably very tired and had gone off to sleep after taking his shower.

With a heavy heart, she climbed upstairs, going to her room to change into her nightgown, before she moved towards his room to wish him goodnight.

"Scorpius?" she called out softly a little while later, slowly opening the door to his room, to find his bed empty. She heard the sound of water running in his bathroom and got a little worried since he had been in there for well over an hour. She tiptoed towards the bathroom and opened the door.

And suddenly she wished that she didn't.

Scorpius was sitting in his bathtub with the shower running over him. He had pulled his knees up to his chest and his hands were clutching his hair. The scars on his back looked darker than usual. His back had turned red and from all the steam in the bathroom, Rose figured that the water in shower was scalding hot.

"Have you gone mad?!" she said, trying to sound extremely angry, but the grief at the sight in front of her overrode her anger. She walked towards the tub and closed the shower tap. Scorpius still hadn't looked up.

She bent down on her knees and spoke softly, "You'll catch a cold. Come on now, get up!"

She placed a hand on his wrist and he finally looked up at her. His face was expressionless.

"Come on!" She tugged at his wrist, encouraging him to get up.

Scorpius slowly got up along with her, and Rose immediately looked away, her face flushing furiously as she grabbed for the towel hanging off the hook.

She handed him the towel without looking at him because she knew her hormones were a lost cause whenever she was around him, let alone being around him when he was naked. She handed his pajamas as well, giving him a few minutes before she turned around.

He looked so lost and confused.

What had happened to him? He had been fine at the party. She thought he was steadily moving towards full recovery. Did her uncle or her father say anything to him to upset him? Anything regarding him being questioned at the Ministry?

She took his hand and then pulled him to his bedroom. She gently sat him down on his bed and sat down next to him, waiting for him to start talking to give her hint to what was bothering him.

He however just stared at the ground for a good ten minutes.

"Do you want to talk about it, Scorpius?" she asked him, hoping to incite some response from him.

However he didn't respond. He was staring blankly at the carpeted floor.

She knew she couldn't force him to talk. She knew how stubborn he was. So she decided that she'll talk to him when he is ready.

"When you're ready, let me know," she whispered, before kissing him on the cheek and getting up to switch off the table lamp next to him.

She was however taken by surprise when Scorpius grabbed her hand when she was about to leave, and slowly pulled her closer to him till he could wrap his arms tightly around her waist and lean his forehead against it.

Rose started when she felt wetness seep through her gown around her waist.

Was Scorpius _crying_?

"Scorpius?" she called softly, now _really_ worried.

Her breath hitched as he looked up at her, his pale blue eyes brimming over with tears.

"I'm scared, Rose."

She felt her heart clench as she heard him. In all these years she had known him and been with him, he had _never_ cried, sounded or looked _so_ vulnerable. He had been her rock all this time. He was the one who always held her hand and made her believe that everything in the end would be fine. He was the strong one. Seeing him like this scared her as well.

Rose felt her insides crumble as she saw tears falling past his jaw. She swiped her hands across his cheeks, wiping his tears.

"What? But why would you be scared?" she whispered, pressing a kiss to his head and leaned her head on top of his, mentally requesting him to continue crying if he thought it would make him feel better.

"Because it's my fault those Muggles are dead."

Rose froze, air escaping her lungs as disbelief flooded her veins.

"What?" she breathed, now pulling away from the hug in shock.

Scorpius didn't—why—he wouldn't!

"Scorpius…wha—what do you mean?" she asked terrified, sitting next to him on his bed.

"The Portkey was connected from the French Ministry to the alley behind Mungo's," he said tonelessly staring at the bed. "Teddy and I were in-charge of the murderers we had managed to catch in Auxerre. The moment we were about to reach the front door, I saw this old man approaching us. My hand was already at my wand when he froze our feet to the ground. All of us a sudden, he pointed his wand at us, and mumbled a spell. In those few nanoseconds, the only spell that came to my mind was _Protego_. But I don't think the Shield Charm came out right. Because he managed to kill his mates, almost managed to kill me and hurt others and at the same time kill four Muggles who were nearby."

Rose breathed, allowing his words to sink in. Was he telling her that it was because of his defective shield that the spell was _somewhat_ deflected towards the Muggles nearby? But it was impossible! Either the shield should've blocked the curse entirely or should have shattered the moment the spell hit it.

She recalled that there were total seven dead bodies found on the sight of the blast. Four were Muggles, and the other three were wizards. Two of them were recognized to be the caught murderers. The third one hadn't been identified or claimed, and was currently in the mortuary at Mungo's.

"Scorpius," she began slowly, placing a hand on his cheek, forcing him to look at her, "Did it ever occur to you that the attack might have been a suicide attack? I mean the old man or whoever he was, did end up dying as well."

He frowned, "Wha—how can you say that?"

"We have the body of a wizard which hasn't been claimed as of yet. The body is in pretty bad shape. But face is quite all right. So you could recognize him if the dead guy is the same person you saw. The Ministry has been notified about it, too, you know?"

Scorpius looked blankly at her for a second and then looked away.

"Why do you do that?" he asked, his voice barely louder than a whisper.

"Do what?" she asked, extremely confused.

"Always believe that I can do no wrong. It should be illegal to have so much faith in someone."

"I know you can do no wrong. But why do you want to believe that you're wrong?!"

"Because if I am going to be punished tomorrow, I would prefer it if I am punished rightly."

"But you aren't going to be punished tomorrow!" exclaimed Rose, "Why would you think that?"

"If the man at the mortuary isn't the one who tried to kill us, then I would be charged with murder of four innocent Muggles. If the man at the mortuary is the one who tried to kill us, then again I would be charged with killing the person instead of just arresting them."

"You were just trying to save your life! If he had managed to kill you, who is to say he wouldn't have stopped you? And from what you've told me, you didn't even kill that man or those Muggles. They died because of the git's spell. YOU DIDN'T DO ANYTHING OTHER THAN TRY TO SAVE PEOPLE'S LIVES!"

"Well, I don't think the Ministry would see it that way. Since I am a bloody Malfoy, they would be delighted to convict me of something I may not be guilty of."

"And you think the entire Potter-Weasley clan would just sit and watch? Things have changed Scorpius. You are not guilty of anything. Have you talked to anybody about this?"

"I talked to Al, Ron, and Harry just before they left the party."

"And did they say anything?"

"No."

"There you go! You've talked to Dad about what had really happened. You've talked to Al about it. You've talked to Harry bloody Potter about it! And they don't think you've done any wrong. Once the ministry people come to know about what really happened, I am quite sure they would feel the same way."

Scorpius looked at her tiredly, and she was astounded to see the defeat in his eyes. Honestly, what had happened to him?

"I don't even know what I have done to deserve you?" he whispered hoarsely, clutching his hair in his hands.

Rose inhaled sharply, looking incredulously at Scorpius, "What do you mean by that?"

"You are just so bloody perfect," he said scowling, getting up from the bed and moving towards the window, "I don't deserve you at all."

"I am not perfect. I thought, you of all people would know that," she said, shaking her head as she stared at his back. His scars were now reverting back to its brown color. "You've seriously lost it."

"I haven't," he said, his voice devoid of emotion taking her by surprise, "I think we should end this."

"End what?"

"This. Us. I'm talking about us getting a divorce."

Rose felt as if he had stabbed her. Breathing deeply, she got up quietly and walked towards him.

"You don't want to be with me anymore?" she asked calmly, now facing him.

"No!" said Scorpius shaking his head, and then looking at her, his eyes blazing, "Why _wouldn't_ I want to be with you? I just don't see why you would want to be with me. Other than a house to live in, and a parent, there is nothing more you can get from me. I have fucked up everything, Rose. These fucking scars would be reminder of what I did and what I have lost. And I don't want you to suffer because of me."

Rose wanted to scream in frustration and at the same time, throttle Scorpius till he came to his senses. Maybe she could do both of them simultaneously.

"So you believe that I agreed to marry you for the purposes of getting a roof to live under and saving my reputation? Do you really think I was that desperate?"

"Rose, you got it wron—" He started again, before she silenced him by placing her index finger on his lips.

"Remember the time in our second year at Hogwarts, when you defeated our team in the Quidditch finals?" she asked softly, her heart hammering as her eyes bore into his. Predictably she could see confusion in his eyes.

"Yeah?" he said, frowning.

"And remember that you chose to skip to your post-match celebration just because I had been extremely disgruntled by my first final loss. I had been sulking in the library and you somehow found me and cheered me up so amazingly that I had forgotten that I had even played a Quidditch match that day."

"So?"

"That was the day I fell in love with you."

Scorpius' eyes became wide.

"You've—! Oh wow…second year? Really?" he stuttered, looking shocked.

Rose chuckled slightly at his astonishment, "I had developed a crush on you by the end of first year, but it was when I saw you leaving the library after cheering me up that I realized that whatever I felt for you wasn't just a crush. We were best friends. You had always been there for me. You cared for me like many I know didn't. Then of course there was the teasing and the rumors about us that flew around all the time. It had gotten my hopes up like never before. And then all of a sudden, you proclaimed that you were in love with Bright, and that shattered me well and good. Remember when I had allowed you to go and ask Bright out? That was the day when I decided that I would finally get over you. But I never did. At least not completely. When you asked me to marry you, I wouldn't say I wasn't trying to escape humiliation and isolation. I went ahead with the idea because it was _you_ who had proposed to me. I was going to get to be _your_ wife. My dreams were finally coming true, even if not in the way I had imagined they would be. Therefore what I feel for you now, is something that started nearly fifteen years ago. So it would take a lot more than these scars and infertility to make them go away."

Scorpius gaped at her. "Bloody hell, Rose! Fifteen years?! Why didn't you ever do anything about it?"

"Because I felt I didn't deserve you," said Rose flushing furiously, "You were, and are, so incredibly good-looking, popular, caring, loving, loyal, sincere; it was pretty hard to not fall in love with you. Which is why I felt you deserved a girl who was perfect in every sense of the word, not someone as flawed as I was."

Scorpius continued looking at her mutely, but his eyes were now blazing.

"So you have your flaws," he said, his voice husky. "But the fact that you accept them is what makes you perfect."

"Exactly my point, so forget your worries. Physical changes in you don't matter, even though it would affect us, but not much if we don't let it. Nothing in the world can make you stop me from loving you. But if you're really worried about the scars…" Rose stopped to kiss him softly along a ghastly looking scar, running from his abdomen till almost his shoulder blades. Her fingers then traced the scar, making him his hiss softly. She raised herself on her tiptoes, and whispered, "…then I think you should know that I find battle scars sexy," before kissing him soundly on the mouth.

His lips melted perfectly against hers. She heard a rumble in his chest as he groaned into her mouth, his tongue slipping past her lips to meet hers. The moment his tongue met hers, as usual, her thinking snapped to negative. She sighed as she felt his right arm go around her head while her left one slipped around her waist, pulling her closer than before.

He really was an idiot to believe that she would leave him because of some stupid scars.

She shivered in pleasure as his mouth had detached itself from hers, now moving down her neck, sucking at _that_ spot behind her ear that made a blinding jolt of desire run through her body.

She nuzzled his neck, tangling her fingers in his hair, which was still slightly damp from his shower. She was extremely pleased to feel him shiver against her body when she ran her tongue along his collar bone, feeling the faint yet bitter taste of the soap he used on her tongue.

"Oh no. I'll take the leads on this one," he growled against her neck, before slamming her mouth against hers.

She held onto his shoulders, her world spinning at an alarming rate, as his tongue danced with hers. She whimpered when she felt Scorpius' hands wander below her waist and cup her arse and within a few seconds, she found herself in his arms, her legs wound around his waist as he kissed her till she forgot how to breathe. She pulled back due to lack of oxygen, breathing heavily as she leaned her forehead against his, taking in his swollen lips, his flushed face and eyes that had turned a shade of dark blue.

She felt him moving backwards towards the bed and sitting down. Once he sat down, she moved accordingly so that she was able to straddle him, making him groan loudly.

"Do you really have to do _that_? Easy woman." he groaned, before catching her lips in another searing kiss. Goosebumps broke all over her skin as she felt Scorpius' hands pushing the hem of her nightgown upwards while grazing her thighs with his hands. She tangled her fingers in his hair, pulled back for a second and traced his lips very, _very_ slowly with her tongue. She chuckled lightly when Scorpius swore.

"What?" whispered Rose playfully as she placed feather-light kisses on his cheek, "I thought you didn't want me to _speed_ up."

Rose felt a fierce jolt go down her spine when Scorpius let out an impatient growl. Within seconds, Scorpius had turned around and had pinned her to the bed, while he ravaged her mouth, punishing her for toying with him.

If her world had been spinning before, it was nothing compared to what was happening to her now. She was just aware of Scorpius' tongue moving fiercely against hers, his hands, running up and down her thighs, resulting in explosions breaking all over her skin and her body which was visibly _begging_ him to take her.

He pressed kisses along her collarbone, his tongue darting out to soothe the skin he had nipped at. Her eyes rolled back into her head and she clenched the sheets tightly in her fists, as his mouth moved over the neckline of her gown that had dipped significantly in the past minutes, and his hands ran hotly across her back underneath the nightgown. He hooked her legs around his waist as his mouth met hers once again, and she couldn't help but move against him. They both groaned into each others' open mouth at the movement. Oh dear god, she wanted _more_.

Her blood was boiling. Her heart was surely about to break out of her ribcage. Her entire body was _burning_ with need. She knew she would go mad if he didn't do something about it. She hooked one arm around his neck, not breaking the contact at the mouth, and slipped her hand downwards, tugging at his pajamas, making him groan into her mouth. He pulled back quickly and pulled her up in a sitting position with a strength she hadn't expected from him in his current state. He pulled off her night gown in one swipe over her head, and she flushed furiously as he smirked at her, his eyes roving over her now almost naked body. She knew how much she missed that wonderful, tantalizing smirk of his.

She raised herself on her knees on the bed, loving the predatory look in his eyes as she drew closer to his kneeled form. She could feel the heat radiating off his body. She kissed him softly while she placed her right palm on his chest right above his heart, and wasn't surprised to feel the accelerated thumping of his heart. He had no clue just how much it thrilled her to hear his heartbeat again, especially since she was so close to losing him forever.

Her mind went back to the moment when she had seen him lying on that stretcher in that horrible room. Tears instantly sprung up in her eyes and her blood ran cold as images of Scorpius torn up flooded her mind. There was just so much blood. She could see almost all his internal organs. It was a good thing she had fainted, or else she was sure she would have been driven mad by the sickening sight that had been in front of her eyes.

She leaned her head against his shoulder, trying to stop her tears before they fell on Scorpius' chest. He was now fine. Crying over what had happened was absolutely stupid. But then she never had any control over her emotions. Sometimes, not having control over how you felt about something or someone was a bad thing.

"Hey," came Scorpius' worried voice, as he caressed her cheek, "What happened?"

She slowly raised her head to face him, sniffing slightly. He blanched visibly when he saw her face, "Bloody hell, Rose! What happened?"

She looked at him through her tears, holding on to his shoulder for support before she crumbled. He ran his fingers across her cheeks, wiping her tears.

"Promise me," she choked, her chest heaving with emotion, "Promise me that you'll never leave me ever again. You won't do any of your silly antics and cause me this much hurt ever again. _Please, promise me_."

She watched as Scorpius' expression changed from worried and confused to that of realization. He looked at her carefully for a second before cupping her face with both his hands.

"I'll never hurt you ever again," he whispered in a voice that could easily tame the fiercest dragon in an instant, his eyes burning like never before. "I promise."

He then captured her lips in a heart-stopping, earth shattering kiss, assuring her that he was, indeed, not going anywhere.

* * *

Sweaty and sated, Rose fell back against the pillows, trying to maintain her consciousness.

"I suppose my performance hasn't been affected by the whole accident," whispered Scorpius playfully, nipping lightly at her neck as he lay facing her back and wrapped his arm around her waist.

"Oh no sir," breathed Rose, turning her head slightly backwards to look at him, "Not at all."

How was it that every time with him overshadowed the last time she had been with him? Her body as still humming and her knees were still trembling. She was yet to catch her breath and the world in front of her was still very blurred. She felt him winding his leg around hers under the sheet, his naked body pressing against hers. She clutched the bed sheet around her tighter than before as Scorpius kissed her bare shoulder, making her shiver.

"You honestly have no idea how beautiful you are," said Scorpius softly, his fingers tracing patterns on her arm.

"You're saying that because it is your duty as a best friend and as a husband," she said, a smile breaking on her face, "If a guy tells his wife she looks like a cow, he is more likely to get killed."

"I can call you a cow and get away with it"

"Why don't you try it and then let's see if you survive?"

"I may like to push things when it comes to you. But I am not stupid. Although, I am quite sure that not even a blind person would be willing to call you a cow."

"You do realize that you don't have to be fancy with the words Scorpius. I know what I look like. So don't make me sound fancier than I actually am."

"It isn't fancier or whatever you want to call it, if it is true."

"You are an idiot," said Rose softly, kissing the tip of his nose.

"And I love you," breathed Scorpius fiercely, before capturing her mouth in a kiss that sent a bolt of lightening to the tip of her toenails. She however pulled back before Scorpius showed interest in doing more than kissing. Her hormones were screaming at her to roll him over and shag his brains out, but she barely had the energy to turn towards him. She was _tired_.

They lay in comfortable silence for a while when Scorpius spoke.

"Can you promise me something, Rose?"

"Anything," she said, goosebumps breaking all over her body as his hot breath tickled her neck.

"Promise me that you'll stay away from Ryan."

That jolted Rose out of state of tiredness she was in. Did he see her talking to Ryan?

"What? Why do you want me to do that?" asked Rose, now turning completely towards him.

"Please don't ask any questions," Scorpius begged, clutching her arm tighter than usual, and yet again she was struck by how vulnerable he sounded, "I don't know how to explain it. But _please _promise me that you won't see him again."

"If it means that much to you, then I won't," she said earnestly. She figured that if Ryan tried to maintain contact with her, it would have to be through some other medium.

A relaxed smile broke on his face as he gently squeezed her hand.

"Thanks. You have no idea what that means to me," whispered Scorpius, grinning slightly before yawning widely, "I better get some sleep now. Have to deal with a lot of things tomorrow."

Rose nodded and kissed him lightly on the lips, "Sure. And everything would be fine. So don't worry, okay?"

"Sure."

"So I better get going to my room."

"You have your own room?" he asked playfully, raising his eyebrow, "That's not fair! I want a room for myself."

"This is your room, you know," she said, slightly confused.

"Correction. This is _our_ room. At least I'd like to think that it is."

Rose blushed; her brain was quite messed up for the time being, "Well my things aren't here."

"I am sure we can take care of that tomorrow."

"Why can't we declare my room as the master bedroom? It is larger than yours if you haven't noticed."

"Hmm…we can do that tomorrow. But I am too sleepy," he said, yawning again, and finally closing his eyes.

"Ah…so I tired you out, huh?" smirked Rose triumphantly, delighted to see a faint blush staining his cheeks. He looked absolutely endearing when he flushed pink, "Didn't I tell you that I am always the one who does all the work?"

"Dream on Weasley…"

"Go on Malfoy, accept defeat. I know I have more stamina than you do."

"…."

"Goodnight to you, too."

She couldn't help but smile widely as she placed her head on his chest, wrapped her arms around him and feel Scorpius' arms snake around her waist.

This felt _perfect_. This was all she wanted from life. To be with him like _this_. Sure there were things that she wouldn't get, but she knew that it wouldn't stop her from cherishing what she's _finally_ got.

She ran her hand over the deep scars on Scorpius' chest. The incident had scarred him more than he himself would care to admit. She had somehow managed to convince him that he was innocent and he had nothing to worry about. But both of them knew that it wasn't the truth.

They had a lot to worry about, she more than him.

She raised her head to look at his face, the rhythmic up and down motion of his chest letting her know that he was asleep already.

For the first time in a long time, he looked peaceful.

Tomorrow would be another day.

And they would face it together.

* * *

**AN:- **

**That's that and no harm done.**

**You know what's going to come next…**

***DRUMROLL***

**Review!! :)**


	21. So Close, Yet So Far

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* * *

**Disclaimer:**** All characters recognizable are property of J. K. Rowling. Copyright infringement is unintended.**

* * *

** 21. So Close, Yet So Far**

"Why do we have this hideous looking hat in our closet?" Scorpius' indignant voice came from upstairs.

Rose looked at the staircase for a second, contemplating her answer before turning back to feed Amelia.

"Seriously, Rose, WHY!?!" Scorpius yelled again, becoming louder and clearer with every passing second; he was coming down the staircase. "You don't even go out anymore!"

Rose ignored him. She was still a little upset about last night.

"Okay…so now I am going to get the silent treatment?"

Rose wiped Amelia's mouth with her bib and smiled when the little girl showed her tiny teeth to her. She took the bowl to the washing sink, and waved her wand; all the dishes in the sink began to wash themselves.

"You know I am sorry about last night," Scorpius said, coming up next to her, his voice laced with regret.

Rose rolled her eyes. She expected him to say that all right.

It had been a few days since he got home, and suddenly everything had changed, and not for the better. The row last night was testimony.

"Please, Rose? TALK. At least look at me," he tugged on her arm, trying to make her turn around.

She finally turned around to face him, and bit back laughter.

Scorpius was wearing the humongous hat she had borrowed from Lily. He was already wearing the robes for the day, and looking ridiculously stupid.

"I'm sorry, all right!" he huffed, the impatient look on his face clashing with the delicate looking hat, "You know how things have been quite difficult with me! Everybody is after my life at the Ministry! You can't expect me to not be upset about it."

"But I can expect you to not take out all your frustration on us, Scorpius!" she said calmly, looking straight at him, "You need to realize that personal and professional life should never be allowed to mix. The more you worry about your work, the more your personal life would get affected."

"That is not an easy thing to do, Rose!"

"I know that! But I need you to make an _effort_. You are letting your stress get the better of you. Don't let it. Amy hasn't had much time with her father. And I haven't been able to spend some time with my husband. So once you come home from work, please leave your Auror guise behind!"

Scorpius looked at her quietly for a few moments before he spoke. "That is going to be quite tough!"

"This is why you have to start working on it now! You know I am trying my best to help you," she said, cocking her head to the left and smiling slightly, "You know I haven't been at my angry best despite you infuriating me endlessly. Now come on, have your breakfast. Your coffee will be ready in a few minutes."

"Now that you're not mad at me anymore—" he said, suddenly smirking at her.

"Who said I'm still not mad at you?"

"—I was thinking we can take off for a well needed break on your birthday."

Rose gaped at him. "Break? You mean a _vacation_? Where?"

"I was thinking Greece," Scorpius sighed dreamily, taking a plate from the clean bunch and sitting down on the table. "It is a stunning place after all…."

Rose watched him have his egg and toast, a smile breaking on her face.

Things had indeed been quite rough for Scorpius ever since he returned to work. The newspapers continued speculating, and people who had been congenial towards him earlier suddenly turned very suspicious and wary of him. Since Scorpius had become extremely sensitive since the accident, things of that sort were affecting him more than they usually would have.

He barely talked after coming home, and if he did, he was usually angry. In the first two days, his new behavior led to intense arguments. And in the following days, Rose decided if Scorpius tried to start baseless arguments, or say things that would hurt her, she would simply ignore him. And now, finally after three days of painful silence, she had finally been able to open her mouth without wanting to scream out curse words.

"Are you sure, Scorpius?" she asked, crossing her arms and looking at him.

"Of course!" he said wiping his mouth in a manner that would embarrass Draco Malfoy to no extent. He got up from his seat and put his plate in the sink, and looked at her seriously.

"I really need a break, Rose. From all of this," he whispered fiercely, taking her hand in his and squeezing it lightly. "And I think it's high time we have a family vacation, don't you think?"

"I like the sound of it," she replied, smiling shyly at him and squeezing his hand in return, "So we take off on the eighteenth and come back on—?"

"We'll go for a week, I suppose," he said thoughtfully, before running a hand through his hair. "Can't really stay away from work too much. After all, I just got back on my feet."

"Okay," she said quietly, biting her lip. Bringing up his accident always soured his mood. She waited for him to get irritated and huffy, but this time, he thankfully didn't.

"Hey. I'm not going to go ballistic this time," he said earnestly, lifting her chin lovingly, "I know I shouldn't take out my frustration on you. Now am I forgiven?"

"Scorpius, you know that I can't stay mad at you for too long. Then why ask?" she said, flushing red. Her mother always said that women should never let their husbands know just how much they affect them. But then Rose knew from the way Scorpius' eyes lit up, he needed to hear such things from her.

"'Cause I wanted to make sure that you wouldn't hex me if I do this"

Scorpius pressed his lips to hers and scooped her into an embrace. She melted in his arms, clutching his collar tightly, before her hand moved upwards, brushed the hat off his head, and tangled her fingers in his hair. Her chest expanded painfully in joy as he deepened the kiss, his groan reverberating in his chest. She pulled back when her insides contracted painfully due to lack of oxygen, and rested her forehead against his, breathing deeply.

He had an edge over her. She was in big trouble.

"That was…" she whispered, not being able to come up with something coherent.

"I know," he said hoarsely, before lightly brushing his lips against hers. "I wish I didn't have to reach work within fifteen minutes."

"What if you did have fifteen minutes?" she asked playfully, kissing his jaw lightly.

"I would have broken the new table as well. With your help, of course."

Her giggle turned into a gasp as he kissed her neck tantalizingly, causing her to dig her fingers in his scalp. He could be late by another five minutes or so, big deal!

Their intimate moment was interrupted when Amelia let out an indignant yell, causing Rose to snap out her world of bliss.

"Scorpius!" she hissed, pushing him away and startling him. "Amy's watching!"

"So?" he asked bewildered, his face red, his lips swollen. "She's just a _baby_!"

"If she watches us going at it, not only is she going to be scarred for life, but it would also lead her wanting to experiment at a very young age!"

"Oh no no no. _NO!_" said Scorpius, looking scandalized. "First of all, she is not going to be dating till she is twenty five. As for her getting married, not before she's thirty—"

Rose rolled her eyes and turned to take her toast from the toaster.

* * *

"Hey, Lils! Where are the gowns from the winter collection kept?"

Lily's arm slid off her desk as Maria's high pitched voice coming from the door of her office pulled her out of her reverie.

"I'm sorry. What?"

"_Gowns. Winter Collection._"

"Basement, row number 3, all the three shelves," she replied in a listless voice as she leaned back in her reclining chair.

"Seriously Lils, get yourself checked at Mungo's. You look seriously peaky!"

"Get out!"

"Okay. Relax. I was just worried…."

Lily sighed as Maria closed the door of her office, leaving her alone in it.

Maybe she ought to get herself checked at Mungo's. It had been nearly two weeks since that day. She really needed to get some fresh air rather than cooping herself in the house and her office.

She got up and moved towards the window of her office that faced a bustling and busy shopping area. Her eyes fell on the Quidditch Supplies Store opposite her store and cursed as she saw a poster of a new broom displayed on the window, endorsed by none other than Ryan Smith.

She had been trying so hard to forget that night. And the harder she tried, more impossible it seemed. She had ignored all the letters he had sent ever since that fateful day. She couldn't bring herself to face him. She just couldn't.

She was in love with him. She was in love with a guy who she knew would never reciprocate her feelings.

Sure he enjoyed hanging out with her, but he was truly, madly, deeply in love with Rose. She was just a friend to him, someone who helped him in his rough times. If there was any attraction on his behalf, it had to be purely physical and not in the deep way she was attracted to him.

Her mind went to that blissful moment that turned murky the moment he mentioned Rose's name in bed. And the few minutes after that.

If he had felt anything remotely close to how she felt, she was quite sure he would have stopped her from leaving or even come after her. But he didn't, proving the fact that he did not reciprocate her feelings.

She leaned her head against the window, pressing her palms against the glass. She closed her eyes and breathed deeply.

Being a part of one-sided affair was a tiring thing. And dear Merlin, it hurt. It hurt more than being C_rucio_ed over and over again.

She figured it would be better for her sanity if she did not see him for a few days. Giving herself a few days would help her prepare herself and—

And that moment the door opened. She froze as she heard the familiar voice that sent shivers down her back.

"Why have you been ignoring me?"

"How did you get in here?" she asked, without turning to look at him. Hearing his voice again lit a spark in her, making her feel more alive than she had felt, in the past few days.

"I snuck in. You have a lot of customers today."

Lily merely grunted.

"Lily, seriously what is wrong with you? You haven't written back even once! I told you I wanted to meet you—"

"I beg to differ, _Ryan,_" said Lily harshly finally turning to face him. "You wanted to meet your daughter and not me. I am just her nanny so you are just stuck with me."

Ryan gaped at her in surprise, "Say what?" he asked looking extremely confused.

"You heard me."

Lily mentally begged him to leave. He looked so spectacular, standing there in front of her in those amazing robes that fit him perfectly, reminding her of the absolutely fit body underneath them. His jaw bore a hint of stubble and his hair was slightly longer than she last remembered. Her hormones were screaming instructions at her. But she refused to listen to them.

"We're friends, Lily. So obviously I would want to see you as well," he said desperately, walking closer to her.

"Of course we are," she said, cringing internally at the word "friends".

"And we need to talk about what happened last time—"

"No, we don't!" she practically screamed. She could not believe he actually wanted to discuss it.

"Yes we do," said Ryan fiercely, moving into the room, closing the door behind him.

"Ryan, please," she begged and she was struck by how pathetic she sounded. "I don't want to know—she—please don't—"

She was however silenced as Ryan pulled her into his arms and planted his lips hotly on hers. Her heart rate rocketed as he wound his arms around her waist and pulled her closer and her hands of its own accord, wound themselves around his neck. Her knees buckled as his tongue swept into her mouth and one of his hands stroked her cheek gently.

This felt so right. Yet it was so, _SO_ wrong.

She pulled back immediately, pushing him away.

"No. We can't," she gasped, her head still spinning. She placed her hand on her chest. She could feel her heart beating a bruise against her ribs.

"But—"

"There's no 'but', Ryan!" she said firmly, her heart breaking with every word she said. "You are clearly not over Rose and I refuse to be your rebound. Things have messed up in the past for us. And I don't want to ruin the friendship we have now by giving us a shot."

Ryan stared at her. His hair was mussed and his lips bore clear signs of snogging.

"Is that what you truly want?" he asked coldly, his voice piercing through her soul.

"Yes," she whispered, her eyes never leaving his.

"Fair enough. I am meeting you and Amy tomorrow. It will be our last meeting. And it will be the last time I see Amy."

Lily started. Did Ryan just say that he wanted to meet Amy for the last time?

"The last time? What do you mean?" she breathed, feeling extremely puzzled.

"I have my reasons, Lily," he said, running his hand through his hair and she was struck by how upset he looked, "I will share them with you when I feel the time is right. By the way, I would be leaving tomorrow night for Prague for nine days. Have matches against Cannons, Bats, and Magpies. So I just have to meet her."

"I'll try."

"Say you will bring her. Please. I'm deman—I'm begging you."

Lily moved back in suspicion.

"Who are you and what have you done with Ryan Smith?"

Ryan stared at her, dumbfounded.

"What? Lily—"

"Ryan Smith has never _ever_ begged for anything," she murmured, her hand moving towards her wand.

He spotted her movement and immediately caught her wrist. She felt heat radiate from his body and her face flushed as she felt his eyes burning through her.

"But everyone reaches a point when they have to beg, Lily," he whispered, staring fiercely at her. "I don't have much time 'cause I need to reach for practice in another five minutes. I'll see you tomorrow?"

His eyes searched hers and she nodded absently. What had happened to the guy she had grown to love?

"Thanks," he said, with a ghost of a smile. "Do you mind if I Floo out from here? Someone might notice if I step out..."

Lily merely nodded again as Ryan grabbed Floo powder from the grate and was soon enveloped by the green flames in her fireplace.

What exactly had happened to Ryan? Was he hiding something from her?

* * *

"Scorpius, mate. It's okay."

Scorpius growled loudly, making Albus cringe.

"You aren't the one under the scanner now, are you?" he spat, shifting the files off his desk, practically throwing them in the drawer.

"Look, we all know you're innocent. It's just ministry procedure. The media will have concrete proof that you weren't involved at all in those attacks and will eventually shut up!"

Scorpius spun in his chair to look at Albus angrily.

"But by not sending me to scoop out information on our ex-mission would make everyone talk about how the Ministry is suspicious about me. Can't they see that?"

"Scorpius," Albus hissed, "Dad is trying to convince the Minister and his juniors. You know that the minister likes you, and you also know that it is the people working right underneath the minister who have issues with you. So calm down! Ever since you came back, you have been breathing bloody fire!"

Scorpius sobered immediately. He didn't want reminders of how he had changed since he recovered. He had the wildest possible mood swings. He would be really happy for a second and then turn snappy and boorish the moment something happened to upset him. Everything around him seems to be spinning out of his control and he hated it! He had absolutely no control over his emotions either, especially his anger, leading to him lashing out at almost everyone. And the one who bore most of it was Rose.

It had just been five days since he checked out of Mungo's and he was arguing worse than ever with her over the smallest of things that turned into full blown arguments within minutes. Sometimes Rose would argue back, sometimes she would just ignore him, causing him to get angrier.

And there were these times, when he was scared. Scared of losing the ones he loved; losing Amelia and Rose, especially to the bastard called Ryan Smith. True, Rose had continuously tried to assure him that she was in love with him, but he couldn't understand why Rose would want to be with him. He knew that Smith had more things to offer when it came to everything. Save his feelings for her, perhaps. Because Scorpius knew that no one loved Rose more than _he_ did. No one could.

He just didn't understand as to why the Ministry wasn't letting him get involved in the final part of the investigation. They had already discovered that the old man was in fact the leader of the criminal gang the Aurors were after. So the Aurors were doing some last minute investigation about the murderers before they went public about the whole mission. But then Scorpius knew it was wrong to be mad at Albus about something he had no control or authority over.

"Right. Sorry," he muttered. "So what are you up to after work?"

"Have Lamaze classes at six. So I'll be quite exhausted."

"As if you have anything to do during those classes!"

"I DO! I have to pay attention while the Medi-Witch directs instructions. Yesterday we had a demonstration of what really takes place during labor. It was crazy. Why do you ask, anyway?"

"It's been ages since we've had our guys' night out. Say we give it a shot sometimes this week?"

Albus smiled. "That'd be great! When was the last time we went out like that?"

Scorpius pondered for a while. Had it really been that long that he couldn't remember when he had gone out last with Albus and had fun? "A few weeks before Elora got pregnant."

"Great. So this weekend we're off to have some fun! Do you want to call anybody else—OH WAIT! We can invite Chris along. Poor guy hasn't been happy lately."

"Why do you say that?" asked Scorpius, halting midway in arranging his files in order.

"Haven't you heard?" asked Albus bewildered. "He called off his engagement! His fiancée was sleeping around with his cousin while he was away on the mission."

"Poor bastard. Sure. Invite him as well," said Scorpius pitifully. Chris and his fiancée looked so perfect and happy together. He thought it was the saddest thing when perfect couples broke apart.

"Okay then. I'll catch up with you later," said Albus nodding before turning around to leave but all of a sudden, he paused at the doorway.

"What's wrong?" asked Scorpius, raising his eyebrow as he banished his files.

Albus turned around with a grimace on his face.

"Just saw Ryan Smith in the hall way, along with his teammates," he said, rubbing his forehead. "Guess he is perfectly healthy now."

"Why? Was he sick before?" asked Scorpius getting up from his seat as he finished cleaning his desk. He picked up his robe which had been hanging at the back of the chair, and ran a hand over it, cleaning the dust.

"Don't know. He had apparently given a few tests. I saw him with Rose the day you checked out of Mungo's."

Scorpius froze.

"You saw Rose with Ryan?" he asked slowly, his insides flaring again in anger.

_Ryan was with her? Why didn't she tell me?_

Albus frowned. "She didn't tell you? Well, they were talking in one of the common rooms I think before I walked in. Smith left after I came in—Scorpius, are you okay? You look kind of livid."

Scorpius breathed deeply, and started counting backwards to cool himself down.

"Don't worry, mate. I'm just _fine_."

* * *

Rose hummed as she placed the bottle of champagne in a bucket of ice and stepped back to admire her work.

The living room was dimly lit by floating aromatic candles which gave the room a soft glow. There were more candles lit on the table, the light reflecting against the tall wine glasses nearby. The aroma of the freshly prepared food filled the air. Soft romantic music played in the background.

She wrapped her robe more tightly around her as cold air fluttered in through the window. She was nearly naked underneath the robe and she didn't want to give away the surprise in the beginning itself. She had purchased the currently worn lingerie nearly three months ago, when she was shopping with Elora and under some goading from her she had bought this set, not knowing if she would ever use it. She had been quite apprehensive after wearing it since she seemed rounder than she thought she was. But Scorpius always seemed very happy with what she had and she was more than content having a soft body instead of a stick figure.

Scorpius' mood seemed better than what it had been in the last few days, so she figured it might be the right time to convince him to try for a child. Agreed that they had been told that Scorpius might have become infertile, but then she believed that they should continue trying. It was the last day she was ovulating. These were the days in which they had their best chances. Miracles happened, after all.

She heard the door of the house opening and felt herself flush as she heard footsteps which halted all of a sudden.

"Just a little surprise for you," she said, her face turning scarlet as she slowly turned to face him. She had never before tried to set up what she had done today and thus was feeling rightfully nervous. She knew Scorpius wasn't much of a romantic otherwise, but once he got in the mood, she hoped it would be perfect.

However, her stomach dropped as she caught the furious look on his face.

"Scorpius, what's—?" she had merely started when Scorpius cut her off.

"When were you planning to tell me about you meeting Ryan at the Mungo's?" She flinched as she heard his cutting tone that pierced her to the core. However it was his words that had stopped any sort of movement in her body.

"What?" she whispered, not daring to believe what he had said. Her insides were trembling all of a sudden.

_Oh dear Merlin! HE KNEW!_

"YOU AND RYAN!!! When were you planning to tell me about him?" he shouted, throwing his cloak on the floor in anger. He walked swiftly towards the refrigerator and took out a bottle of water, not even sparing the decor a glance.

Rose breathed deeply, her limbs trembling as she walked closer to him. Scorpius had violent mood-swings after the accident, and she feared that the one he had now was perhaps the worst one.

"Amelia is sleeping upstairs. Please lower your voice," she said, trying to sound as calm as possible. She pondered furiously as to who would have informed him about Ryan meeting her. Who had seen her talking to Ryan that day?

"Albus told you, didn't he?" she said, her eyes widening in realization.

He looked coldly at her for a few seconds and slammed the bottle down on the table.

"So what did he want?" he spat, opening the cuffs of his shirt rather violently. Rose saw two of the buttons flying onto the floor.

"He said he wanted visitation rights to meet Amelia," said Rose, her voice uneven.

Scorpius spun on his heels to face her, and for the first time ever in her life, she felt scared of him. The fierce look on his face sent shivers down her spine. And not the good ones.

"He said what?" he growled, his eyes narrowing dangerously.

"That he wanted visitation rights to meet his child."

"And what did you say?"

"I never got to answer him because that was the moment Albus interrupted us."

Scorpius looked at her sharply for a few moments before he spoke, "I can't think of a reason why you would want to keep the whole meeting thing from me? Why did you do it? Don't you think I have a right in making decisions for Amelia? Does it have to do anything with me not being her real father, giving you the complete authority to make decisions for her?"

Rose looked at him as if he had slapped her. Did the issue of him not being Amy's real father still bother him? How could he even think that she didn't consider him Amy's real father?

"I never said anything of that sort!" she cried out, feeling deeply stung. "How can you even come to that conclusion that I don't think of you as Amy's real father?!"

"Clearly actions speak louder than words," he spat again and she stared at him disbelievingly, "Because you never bothered to discuss something as important as this to me."

Why was he reacting so strongly to it? The Scorpius she knew would shout a bit at first and then sit down and then discuss it. But then this new Scorpius showed no signs of cooling down anytime soon. She should have informed him about the meeting earlier. He would have been less angry if he had heard it from her.

"Nothing is more important to me than my daughter!" he said sharply, coming closer to her so fast that she moved back two step backwards, terrified that he might hurt her, "You kept something concerning her from me, and that _hurt_, Rose!"

She looked up into his eyes, astounded by the fire she could see in them causing her insides to quiver in fear.

Scorpius had to calm down. Very soon. Or he would end up blowing something up because of his anger.

"Look, please calm down I'll—where are you going?" she exclaimed, as Scorpius turned around and started walking towards the stairway, "Have something! I made dinner—"

"Does it look like I am hungry here, _Rose_?" he asked mockingly, swirling around and stretching his arms wide.

Tears immediately sprang to her eyes as she heard the venom in his voice as he said her name. Was her meeting Ryan _that bad_? Did it really make him hate her so much?

"Scorpius!" she cried out, walking towards him, "Please try and understand! You had gone through so much! I was merely trying to spare you!"

"And I thought I could trust you," he said coldly, glaring at her, "Guess we were both wrong."

She watched helplessly as Scorpius stormed upstairs, and a loud bang upstairs assured her that he had gone to his room tonight. She slowly slumped to the floor, her heavy heart sinking further and further.

What on earth had just happened?

* * *

**AN:-**

**So I hope it is clear to everyone that Rose did not get pregnant from her rendezvous with Scorpius before he left.**

**All right…sincere apologies to those who found the chapter choppy and bumpy. Final exams are round the corner…so I am freaking out. My beta's exams' (along with choir performances and all; she's one busy girl. Have got to admire her ability to edit the chapter quickly!!) are currently going on so she's freaking out as well. Just thought I should post something before I die!**

**Anyway… please review and make me smile coz I know I am going to end up in tears soon!! :P**


	22. And The Damage Is Done

**Not going to say**** much about the delay. This chapter hasn't been beta-ed. God Knows where Jackie's disappeared…it's been over a month since I sent her the chapter and she still hasn't replied!**

**Let's all hope she's fine!**

***looks worried***

**By the way, recently saw the trailer for Parts 1 and 2 of Deathly Hallows! It was a real OMG, wasnt it? :)**

* * *

**Disclaimer:**** Everything recognizable belongs to JKR. Copyright infringement is unintended.**

* * *

**22. ****And The Damage Is Done**

Rose stirred when she felt something pointed poking her in the cheek. She groaned when she felt a massive headache split her head into two. Her eyes were burning and so was her face. She was also feeling extremely weary as if she had been working for a long time without taking any break.

She blinked slowly, bright light piercing her eyes. So much bright light made her realize that it was definitely well past dawn.

"Mamma!"

Rose started when her Amelia's voice next to her. She squinted to see her daughter sitting right next to her head and smiling brightly at her.

"Hello bear!" she murmured sleepily, astounded at how hoarse her voice had sounded. But then she had cried herself to sleep. Which explained the head ache and the heavy feeling of her heart.

She started again when she felt the same poking again. She rubbed her eyes and opened them again to see Amelia poking her with the stem of a beautiful rose in her hand.

"Who gave you this, Amy?" she asked, slowly sitting up. Involuntarily she looked to the other side of her bed. Her heart sank when she saw that Scorpius' side of the bed hadn't been touched at all, implying that he hadn't slept next to her the entire night. However, there was a folded piece of parchment on the pillow, which took without hesitation.

It read,

_Hey,_

_I can't recall the number of times I've said sorry to you. Every time I told you I wouldn't make you cry and yet I am the one causing those tears to escape your eyes. You have no idea just how awful I feel about the one promise I thought I could keep; that of not making you cry._

_I am very ashamed of my behaviour from last night. And if I had the chance, I would turn back time and make sure what happened last night never happened._

_I don't know how I'll make it up to you, but I'll start by saying sorry. _

_One of the reasons to why I am writing to you is that I saw your face when I came to wake you up and what I felt that moment crippled my courage to talk to you. Another one is that I got an owl from work. Had to reach by nine. Have finally been included in the Auror team to prepare the closing file for our mission. But I'll be home by seven._

_And I would like to take you out for dinner tonight. Does Oliver's sound good to you?_

_Love, always,_

_Scorpius_

_PS: I took the rose from Mrs. Forrester's garden. I know I could have conjured it, but then it was worth seeing the old hag scream her lungs out while I treaded over her petunias._

_PPS: I love you_

_PPPS: Seriously_

Rose looked at the letter disbelievingly. She didn't really know how Scorpius managed to infuriate her so badly and then make her melt from the inside within seconds.

Reading his letter had finally managed to lift her spirits. But then she wasn't feeling too forgiving either.

So he had troubled her a lot in the past few days, she could trouble him instead. There had been many instances in the past when he had annoyed her to an extent that she wouldn't talk to him for a few days. And cruel as it may sound, she enjoyed the undivided attention Scorpius gave to her while apologizing, which always, _always_ made her feel happy.

Scorpius would not get her forgiveness that easily.

She got up immediately from her bed, getting a head rush when she stood up on her feet. Smirking slightly, she moved to the table in his room. Before she could pick up a quill and jot her reply down, she heard her name being called out from the living room.

Picking Amelia in her arms, she moved downstairs to see Elora's head bobbing in the fire.

"Elora!" Rose cried out indignantly, "You're over seven months pregnant! I don't think you ought to be bending down like that!"

Elora however rolled her eyes.

"I'm glad to see you here! I wanted to go out shopping. Buying baby clothes and a few toys for the Nursery. So you free for a few hours?"

"I don't know El-", began Rose, before gears shifted in her brain and everything fell in place. The Weasley genes finally kicked in.

"Sure, I'll come", she said brightly, eliciting a confused look from Elora, "Guess I'll be doing my _night_ shift tonight!"

"Okay. But Rose, are you all right? Why are you looking so happy? I mean shopping for baby stuff isn't really that fun."

"Oh it is _fun_. I'll ask Lily if she can baby-sit Amelia today"

"Auntie Lillieeeeeeee", squealed Amelia excitedly, clapping her hands.

"Yes, sweetheart, Auntie Lily", chuckled Rose, rubbing her nose against the little girl's. Turning back to Elora, "I'll come to your place in an hour after dropping Amelia, okay?"

"Right. See you."

Rose turned back to her parchment and grinned slightly while looking around for a quill.

Looked like it was Scorpius' chance to sleep alone tonight.

* * *

_Have got night shift today. So no dinner. Feed Amelia on time_

Scorpius gaped at the letter in his hand.

The only time she did night shifts was when she had important things to take care of during the day. Even if she did have any other obligations, she didn't mention it in the letter. Which implied she didn't really have anything important to tackle during the day.

Rose was punishing him.

Why else would she be doing her night shift when he had clearly mentioned it to her that he wanted to take her out to dinner tonight?

He and his stupid mouth had gotten him in big trouble with her. He knew she was at fault as well for not telling him about Ryan, but then her excuse was somewhat reasonable. He hadn't been doing too well, and she knew how he felt about Ryan. If she had told him about Ryan earlier, he would have probably reacted the same way. And then they hadn't been talking much in the past few days, so she probably couldn't come up with an opportune moment to discuss it.

He figured it would be better if he didn't think too much about his personal issues at work. After all, personal life should never be allowed to mix with professional life.

He got up from his desk, trying to convince himself that Rose is not really that mad, and everything would be fine the moment he and Rose have a long talk about it.

"Done with the paper work?" came Ron Weasley's voice from the door.

"Yeah", came his reply.

"Good. Now come now. We don't want to be too late for the interview now do we?"

Scorpius spared the letter another glance before proceeding to wear his robe.

"On no sir. Not at all!"

* * *

"This sucks!" exclaimed Albus, bringing Scorpius out of his daze.

The blonde couldn't help but agree. They were currently at Babbages' residence. Justin Babbage, a twenty-seven year old who worked at Gringotts as a curse-breaker, was the last muggleborn murdered by the criminals, and the Aurors had arrived at his residence to know about his background and to know if there was any possibility that Babbage might have had links with the murderers.

Justin's mother had been hysterical at the sight of Aurors on her doorstep. She had been extremely apprehensive about letting the Aurors in, but in the decided that if she were to reveal anything, it would be to only Ron Weasley and Harry Potter.

So the rest of the Aurors were currently seated in the living room while Ron and Harry questioned the mother in the dining hall.

Scorpius didn't know why he had been so damn enthusiastic about wanting to come for the investigation. This thing was boring as well. The time he was wasting here could be put to better use. He could use this time to make up with Rose.

His eyes shifted to Chris who was staring stonily at the table. Scorpius didn't even want to ask why he was looking so upset. He had bumped into his fiancée at the ministry a few minutes before they were supposed to leave. The temperature had dipped significantly around them as Chris glared at her while she looked away guiltily. Scorpius had to pull him away from the place so that they would concentrate on reaching their destination properly while apparating.

Albus let out a huge yawn, causing attention to shift towards him. He just shrugged when Scorpius gaped at him. He either went through the magazines or looked around or complained just how boring it was to sit here and do nothing.

"Magazine?" asked Albus, offering Scorpius what seemed like a copy of Witch Weekly.

"Are you kidding me?" asked Scorpius looking at him incredulously.

"It's not like we've anything else to do."

Rolling his eyes, Scorpius took the magazine from him.

"Glad to know she is still maintaining the touch with the wizarding world", murmured Albus, "With all these magazines and all…Jackpot! Quidditch Illustrated!"

"Babbage has a younger sister", said Scorpius absent-mindedly, proceeding to open the contents page, "She was in a year below us and she…"

His voice trailed away when he saw one of the highlights of the magazine listed on the page.

_HAS RYAN SMITH FOUND LOVE?_

_The Tornadoes hottie was seen canoodling with a single mother in a muggle park! Turn to page 47 for the news and exclusive pictures!_

Pulse racing, Scorpius quickly flipped to the mentioned page. Had Smith finally moved on from Rose? Had the good news _he_ had been waiting for finally arrived?

His eyes immediately fell on the two pictures, and he took in a sharp breath.

The pram in the picture was identical to the one he and Rose had bought for Amelia. He would have passed off the pram as someone else's only if he hadn't seen the various coloured ribbons hanging off the handle. And all of them were incidentally of the same colour Rose and he had bought and decorated the pram with.

His heart rate increased unpleasantly, when he saw that the girl's head was covered with a hat. A gigantic hat. A hat he had been wearing yesterday morning.

He looked carefully at the picture, feeling extremely dizzy.

_Rose couldn't- she wouldn't - why would she - she did not take Amelia to meet Ryan!_

Thousands of thoughts were popping in his mind, all of them hinting that Rose was cheating on him with Ryan. The fierce monster in him erupted again. He felt like lashing out and breaking things around him.

He tried to breathe deeply, trying to calm himself down.

_Rose IS NOT cheating on me. She isn't!_

_But then the pictures and article say something else entirely__, don't they?_ Came a snide voice inside his head that sounded remarkably like Ryan Smith's.

His eyes scanned the article. And found a few sentences looking staring back at him. His heart was pumping blood so violently that he could hear the thump-thump in his head.

The woman with Ryan had _curly dark red hair_.

The two of them were extremely _affectionate_ with each other. They were seen _holding hands_.

Ryan seemed very attached to the baby, _as if his own_.

They were about to _kiss _when the shot was taken.

Scorpius got up immediately, deciding that he really needed to talk to Rose about this.

"What's wrong?", came Albus' surprised voice.

"I have to leave", he replied, his voice shaking and his insides burning, "Tell Ron I am sorry. It's an emergency."

Scorpius rushed out of the house, ignoring Albus' questions, to apparate to Mungo's.

He hoped with everything he had, that Chris was the only one who was cheated on while he was away.

* * *

"Last night was terrible. Cannot remember the last time I cried myself to sleep", said Rose, shaking her head as she put back the unicorn soft toy back in it's place.

"He's recovering, innit? Just be glad he didn't walk out", said Elora, shrugging before proceeding to pick up a teddy bear, "Do you think this teddy bear would be fine?"

"It'll work. It's neither too feminine nor is it too masculine", said Rose nodding, "Do you think I'm being too harsh on Scorpius?"

"Of course not!" said Elora indignantly, "You had already mentioned it to him before that he is not supposed to be taking out his stress on you. And yet he did. Serves him right!"

Rose gave her an uncertain smile. Elora obviously didn't know the entire story.

There were times she wished her friend too knew about it because she wanted someone else to know the situation with her. Someone who wasn't her, or Scorpius. She knew that Elora wouldn't tell Albus about it if she requested. But then, she just didn't know what held her back from telling her the truth.

Sighing, she turned to see her friend cooing over a baby owl soft toy.

When the time is right, she figured Elora would know _everything_.

* * *

"Has Healer Rose Malfoy signed in for the day?"

The receptionist looked up at him from his desk, a bored expression on his face.

"Say what?" he croaked, pushing up his spectacles to get a better look at him.

"Healer Rose Malfoy", said Scorpius impatiently, and added as an afterthought, "Rose Weasley. Has she checked in for the day? Or when would she be available?"

The receptionist stared at him for a while, before taking out a clipboard with a lot of sheets attached to it.

"Rose Weasley", he said in a bored voice, looking through the sheets, "She will be signing in at eight tonight."

"Has she been signing in regularly?" he asked, checking his watch. It was well past three.

"That is something that is kept confidential, a record shown only to those who have the authority. SO unless you have an injury to be tended to or if you have someone to meet, I recommend you to leave the building."

Scorpius glared at the receptionist before turning on his heel and moving towards the exit.

He was starting to feel _extremely_ worried now. His heart was slamming against his rib-cage. His breathing was becoming extremely irregular.

He had already checked at home and she wasn't there. She wasn't at Mungo's either. She also wasn't carrying one of her cell-phone thingies. How was he supposed to know her current location? Albus' house was locked too, implying that Elora had most probably gone to work, and most importantly, Rose wasn't there.

His insides twisted uncomfortably as another place where Rose might be, popped in his mind.

_Ryan Smith's house._

But this time, he desperately hoped that she wasn't there.

* * *

"-the Jones would be my main opponent-No Amy! You do not want to play with the pepper shaker!"

Lily giggled as Ryan tried to take the pepper shaker from Amelia but the little girl was surprisingly putting up a good fight.

"You're not able to snatch a shaker from an infant? What on earth would you manage on the Quidditch pitch?"

Ryan looked up to glare at her, making her laugh snort louder than before.

Thing had turned out to be smoother than anticipated. Rose had miraculously given her a call, asking her to baby-sit Amelia for the day and requesting her to drop the baby at her house by half past seven because Scorpius would be home by that time. She had immediately written to Ryan, who seemed very delighted and requested to come as soon as possible. However, on reaching Ryan's place, she had discovered that he had been called for practice and Ryan had requested her to go to Oliver's and wait for him there. Instead she had taken Amelia along to his practice, managing to sneak into the stadium to watch their practice.

As Lily had watched them practice from the upper deck, she couldn't but help ignore the odd feeling that had crept into her. The feeling of watching Ryan practice, while she was in the stands with _their own_ child in her arms rather than Amelia.

She however had brushed it off. It wasn't something she wanted to dwell on. It would just cause her hurt and longing to intensify.

He had disappeared into the locker room soon enough and she joined him when she was sure everybody save him had left the locker room. They had ended up blushing a lot in first few minutes after she entered, because he had been starkers in the room and was busy scrambling for a towel when he saw her. However after he got dressed, they got talking again, almost back to normal. Ryan had summoned his elf and had directed her to take his Quidditch gear home. He had told her that he would be lunching out with them.

She had caught Ryan glancing at her and flushing when caught, more than _once_. She knew he was still attracted to her, but she didn't want to do anything about it. If they could be friends without any strings attached, she would be happy all right.

She looked around in the restaurant they were currently sitting. The lunch was lip-smacking and extremely filling. But more than the lunch, it was Ryan she was paying more attention to. He still hadn't talked to her about what had compelled him to decide that he would be meeting Amelia for the final time today. She had sensed the urgency in the way he was holding her. She didn't even know to bring up the topic without turning the atmosphere awkward.

She sighed and turned back to her dessert, hoping that he would surely open his mouth today and tell her what is bothering him.

* * *

Scorpius banged loudly on the door of Ryan Smith's house, wondering why there wasn't any security around.

He stared at the door, counting seconds till the door opened. His heart was in the mouth as waited for the door to open. The truth was finally going to come out.

The door slowly opened, and Scorpius was astonished to find a house-elf in front of him.

"How can Silky help, Sir? Master is not at home!"

"This is Ryan Smith's house right?" asked Scorpius uncertainly. If Ryan loved Rose, he wouldn't have employed a house-elf.

"Oh yes sir!" the elf squeaked, "What a wonderful master he is! The best of best!"

"So Silky, where would your master be?"

"He went in the morning for Quidditch practice at the pitch at Wemby."

"You mean Wembley?"

"Yes sir. Master is practicing so hard-."

"Silky. Has a certain Ms. Rose Weasley been coming here off late?"

The question left his mouth before he realized. He looked at the elf, his blood pounding in his ears.

The one answer that would either ruin everything or save everything he had.

"Oh Miss Weasley!" the elf squeaked, her eyes shining brightly, "Wonderful Miss Weasley and Baby Amy! They is so wonderful!"

All of a sudden, his heart that had been thumping loudly in his throat dropped into his stomach.

"Rose used to come here?" he asked, his throat burning, his insides blazing again. She brought Amy here despite his warnings?

"Miss Weasley and Baby Amy used to come everyday! They made Master happy. Master loved Baby Amy so much. He became unhappy in the middle when they didn't come!"

Scorpius nodded, trying to gulp in some air when he realized he hadn't been breathing in at all.

"Master loves Miss Weasley and Miss Weasley too loves him. They should be together! They is so happy together!"

Rose lied to him. It was all a lie. All of it was a sham. He wasn't sure but he had perhaps heard the sound of his heart breaking. He didn't know if he should ask the elf what exactly had happened between them because he wasn't sure if he would be able to hear it.

"Did she come here today?" asked Scorpius, his voice extremely hoarse as his eyes burned.

"Yes. Miss Weasley came with Baby Amy in morning. But they went to see practice when I told them master wasn't home- Oh I remember! Master Ryan said that they would be going to Oliver's for food."

"Thank you Silky you've helped me a lot!" he said, his world spinning around him. He placed a hand on the wall to steady himself.

This was unbelievable. She had decided to go for night shift because she was meeting Ryan during the day. She wouldn't obviously mention that in the letter. She dumped his date so that she could spend time with Ryan? And she was going with Ryan to the restaurant _he_ was supposed to take her to.

"Who is you sir? I need to know to tell Master Ryan!"

"Stan Shunpike", said Scorpius, already having turned around and moving towards the exit.

He felt as the world had fallen apart and he was falling into an abyss. Rose was seeing Ryan behind his back. She still loved him. She wanted to get back together with him. Why else would she be seeing Ryan when she had promised _him _that she would go nowhere near the bastard anymore?

He sat down on the pedestrian outside Ryan's house, his entire body shivering. He buried his face in his hands, and then clutched his hair tightly. Reality hurt. Oh dear Merlin, it HURT!

White hot jealousy licked up his insides as they crumbled into pieces. His body was shivering more violently now as he realized what had just happened.

Rose didn't love him. She perhaps never loved him. She had lied to him about loving him. Maybe she was felt extremely grateful to him causing her to say those words. She had definitely lied to him about liking him since the second year. He knew how mental he had been acting that day and she had said all that to cheer him up. How could he have been so stupid to believe everything she said?

Oh yes. It was because he was blindly and madly in love with her. He believed everything that came out of her mouth. She obviously knew that, and used him according to her convenience. She wanted sex, she got it. She wanted love, she got it. He gave her everything he had and believed she had given everything in return. He believed that he had finally got everything he could ever want from life.

His perfect world, in fact, never existed. It was just a bloody fucking illusion.

He choked back tears, not understanding why Rose chose to cheat on him rather than just telling him what she really wanted. Sure that would have killed him, but nothing could have killed more than this.

He got up from the pedestrian, deciding he has got to see the two of them together before making any final decision.

If he did find them together, he would not waste any time.

He would end it. For their own good.

* * *

"Hey Ryan!"

Ryan looked up from watching Amelia nibble at one of his treacle tarts to Lily.

"What happened? Ice-cream not too good?"

"No", said Lily shaking her head, "I wanted to know why you decided that this meeting would be your final one with Amelia?"

Predictably, he sighed and said, "Look I don't think-"

"I don't want to hear that lame excuse again", snapped Lily, stabbing her scoop with the spoon, "just tell me. As it is, I am not sure if we'll be able to meet up after this."

"Please?" she whispered softly when he hadn't responded to her query.

He let out another sigh and began seriously, "I had gotten a few tests done a few days ago."

"You're sick?" she asked immediately fear creeping in his heart. Is that why he had been acting so weird? Because he was dy-?

But before Ryan could reply to her question, a red liquid came out of nowhere and splashed itself onto her skirt.

"Mother of fucking-", she swore, getting up immediately.

"I am sorry ma'am!" squealed a waiter, "I don't know how I tr-tripped ma'am. Let me help you clean!"

The waiter took out a handkerchief and made to move towards her but Ryan's snarl stopped him

"She'll manage on her own!" he said, glaring at the waiter, who was about to touch her, "Try and lighten the stain in the washroom", he said nodding towards her.

Lily nodded once at him, trying to calm down the hysterical waiter and then moved towards the washroom.

She opened the door to the washroom, cursing as she got in.

She, however, froze in her spot when she realized that there was someone else in there she recognized.

* * *

"Come on El", said Rose, checking her watch. It was now quarter past four. "Hurry up! I want to have something before I faint of starvation!"

"I am trying to finish early, but seems like I have a lot to let out!", came Elora's impatient voice from one of the toilet cubicles.

Rose made a face and turned to look at herself in the mirror, before she heard the door open.

To her huge surprise, it was Lily who had entered. She seemed to have stopped dead in her tracks on seeing her.

"Hey Lils!" she said cheerfully, "What are you doing here? And where's Amy?"

"I'm-I'm with a friend here", said Lily, who for some reason looked scared, "He-she's got Amy. I ca-came here to wipe the stain off my dress."

"Okay", said Rose frowning. What was up with Lily?

"What about you? What are you doing here?" asked Lily, looking at Rose's reflection in the mirror.

"El wanted to shop for some baby clothes. Then she decided she wanted to shop in muggle London. Haven't had lunch, so we're planning to eat here-ARE YOU DONE WOMAN?"

"Almost!" came Elora's voice again.

Rose watched Lily splash water onto her skirt and then trying to wave her wand over it. The stain just turned darker. The door of the washroom opened and a woman entered. Lily quickly hid her wand. However when the door opened, a loud wail reached her ears, startling Rose.

A wail she could recognize anywhere.

"Is that Amy?" she asked Lily, extremely worried.

Lily on the other hand looked terrified, "Rose, wait-."

But Rose paid no heed to her cousin. She shot out from the washroom and into the eating area trying to follow the voice. She reached the corner table and was surprised to find a familiar blonde's back facing her. Wasn't he supposed to be doing some investigation thing?

"Scorpius? What are you doing here?" she called incredulously.

Scorpius turned to look at her and her blood ran cold. Because behind him was Ryan Smith holding her sobbing daughter, and glaring at Scorpius.

_How on earth-?_

She then looked at Scorpius and cringed.

There was anguish etched on every inch of his face. His eyes were however extremely cold as he looked at her.

Surely the sight of his daughter with Ryan Smith made him feel that angry, right?

He turned to face Ryan and growled, "You don't want to create a scene here, Smith. Give me my daughter."

Ryan shot him a death glare, "Don't want to fight you in front of my daughter, Malfoy."

"_Ryan, you heard him_", said Rose warningly, her mind buzzing. How on earth did Ryan manage to meet Amelia?

Ryan seemed to have realized her presence as he finally looked at her, his face turning pale.

Scorpius immediately took a crying Amelia from him. He rubbed soothing circles on her back and then turned around to face her.

"I'll see you at home", said Scorpius coldly, giving her a look of pure hatred that shocked her.

He brushed past her, Amelia still bawling loudly in his arms and exited the restaurant.

Every eye in the restaurant was at them.

Breathing slowly, Rose turned to look at Lily, demanding for an explanation. Behind her, Rose saw Elora looking at her in utter confusion. The guilty expression on Lily's face made her insides tumble uncomfortably.

Ryan was the friend she was hanging out with?

"Would you care to tell me what's going on?" asked Rose, narrowing her eyes at her, extremely sure that she wouldn't like her answer at all.

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**AN:-**

**So the truth about Lily and Ryan is finally out! But is it too late?**

**Let me know if there are any mistakes…since it hasn't been looked over.**

**Please review!**

**Just so you know, the next chapter's almost done, along with the final installment of the Weasley Series and the fourth chapter of Before Malfoy Had it Goin' On!**

**(clearly, I took advantage of the vacations, despite being out of town for the past one month!)**

**So there'll be a decent amount of updates from me this month! Stay tuned! :)**


	23. In Pieces

**This must have been the fastest update of this story in ages for sure. As in two updates in the same month.**

**The delay was because my chapter took quite a while to get updated at harrypotterfanfiction(dot)com because they have a police sort of a staff that goes through the chapters carefully...making sure that the appropriate ratings and warnings are given...therefore taking four-five days for a chapter to get validated. This is for those who dont check HPFF, for I know that quite a few of my readers here have an account there as well! ****I update the chapter here on the same day the chapter is likely to get validated at the other site...so yeah**

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**Disclaimer:**** All recognizable characters belong to JKR. Copyright infringement unintended.**

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**23. In Pieces**

"So? Am I going to get an answer or not?" spat Rose, her insides blazing as Ryan was busy staring at the ground while Lily, surprisingly, looked defiantly at her.

"I knew about Amy being Ryan's child", came Lily's confident voice that turned Rose's insides cold.

"How?" she asked numbly. She knew Scorpius wouldn't tell her, nor would Lysander because they never got on well. Maybe Ryan had tracked her down…

"It doesn't matter how I found out Rose. The fact remains that you don't have the right to stop Ryan from meeting his child!"

Rose gaped at Lily. Was Lily actually siding with Ryan?

"Wha- You're actually siding with him, Lily? _Him_?" she said, pointing an accusatory finger at Ryan, "The guy who dumped you like that? The guy who almost drove you to suicide?"

"It's funny how _you_'re mentioning those things, Rose. Can I ask you why you dated him despite knowing his history with me and our family in general?"

Rose felt as if a bucket of ice had been upturned on her head. If there was anything in the world that could make her feel uneasy and feel as if there were live snakes in her belly, it was this question.

"That question can be answered later", she said, feeling extremely uncomfortable, "What I want to know now is how Ryan got in touch with Amelia. What was doing with her today?"

"Today wasn't the first time he's meeting her. As a matter of fact, he saw her everyday", said Lily coolly, crossing her arms.

"_What?_", she said, the shock slowly being replaced by mind-numbing, vein-bursting anger, "he met Amelia everyday?"

"Yes he did. And why shouldn't he? He's her father after all!"

"You took my daughter to Ryan _everyday_?" repeated Rose, breathing becoming a lot heavier as _white-hot_ rage flooded her.

The rage must have shown on her face, because Lily took a step backwards.

"You could have come to me after finding out the truth!" said Rose, her voice shaking, "You know Scorpius just recovered from an accident. Last thing he needs is Ryan visiting his daughter."

"Amelia is Ryan's daughter, Rose, not Scorpius'!" said Lily earnestly, "And he loves her. Don't you actually care about what this is doing to him?"

"You think I would care about what _he_ wants over what my husband wants?" hissed Rose, "You are mad!"

"I am not mad Rose, I-"

"I placed my trust in you, and you broke it. I trusted you with my _baby_'s life."

"You broke my trust, Rose. I don't see why me breaking yours matters. And it's not like he'll kill her. As I said, he is her father and he loves her."

Rose curled her hands into a fist and bit her tongue to hold back the stream of abuses straining to come out of her mouth. She had never hit a girl before. But Lily was going to be first one to get it if she continued talking that way.

"I see", said Rose acidly, "You thought that taking Amelia to Ryan was the perfect way of getting back at me?"

"No Rose. I just thought-" Lily started, looking alarmed, but Ryan interrupted her.

"She saw injustice. She couldn't stand it. So she did what she could do", he said, looking seriously at Rose, "Really Rose, how can you really hold me guilty of leaving you, when you very well knew that I hadn't known about your pregnancy when we broke up?"

Rose gaped at him. Was he actually asking her that question?

"_I am not sure about our relationship. My work is more important",_ she said angrily, tears now building in her eyes, and predictably Ryan's face grew pale, "Remember these words Ryan? You weren't sure about me and our relationship. What were the chances of you staying back for the child?"

Ryan opened his mouth, but no sound came out of it.

"Rose", said Lily impatiently, "The fact remains that Amelia is Ryan's daughter as well. If he wants to see her, he will see her."

"Lily", Ryan hissed warningly, but Rose had enough of Lily's nonsense.

"And who the hell are you to decide that?" whispered Rose dangerously, moving very close to Lily, "You are not her parent."

Rose wondered why Lily was so insistent on Ryan meeting up with his daughter. Something inside her sunk a thought came to her mind. Did Ryan trick Lily into believing that he was in love with her, and probably would get together with her once he sorted out issues regarding Amy?

"Rose, I never meant to hurt you and Scorpius", said Lily angrily, "But this is so wrong! Amelia is comfortable with Ryan. If she wants to see him, you don't have any right to stop her from seeing him. But if you do, you aren't being a good parent Ro-."

Lily stopped immediately as she clutched her left cheek in shock, which had been marked with a red handprint.

"Rose we should leave. Everyone's staring", came a calm voice behind her, tugging on her arm, but Rose was in no mood to listen. Manipulated or not, Lily should not have crossed the line. But she did, and therefore rightly deserved the slap.

"So how many times did he have to bed you to convince you that he is right and I am wrong?" spat Rose, watching Lily's face flush at her statement.

Her mind started reeling as if being hit by a bolt of lightening.

Lily had indeed been sleeping around with Ryan.

So either she was getting back at her, or Ryan had manipulated Lily to get what he wanted.

"Rose. Come on!" said the voice next to her ear, sounding sharper than ever. This time Rose didn't resist the force at her arm; she was too dazed and tired to resist. She simply went along with the pull.

She gasped sharply as the cold London air hit her face. She stared at the ground while being pulled around. The stone pavement seemed blurred, but she supposed it was because of the tears building in her eyes. Why was everything in her life going against her wishes just when she had thought it wouldn't?

Before she knew it, she was in standing in dark area. From the musty smell, she could tell it was an alley.

"Rose. Can you tell me what was that all about? Why was Lily saying that Ryan is Amelia's real father?"

She started on hearing that voice. Elora was looking at her, confusion written all over face, and she blanched. Elora must have heard everything.

"Because he is", she said wearily, wiping her hands across her cheeks to stop the tears that were now making their way down her face.

"_Rose_", gasped Elora, dropping the shopping bags in shock and leaning against the wall, "Ryan's Amelia's father? What-how-really?-oh my-When?"

"It was almost one and a half years before I got married to Scorpius", said Rose tonelessly, looking ahead watching people just walk past her, none having any idea about the turmoil inside her as she narrated the story, "I was at a muggle bar, getting absolutely wasted because Scorpius had blown me off for some other girl. Ryan was there as well. We got to talking, had drinks, dancing, more drinks, and then-," she paused, closing her eyes and shuddering, "We kissed. It was so overwhelming that I couldn't stop myself from wanting more from him. We spent the night together. The next morning was quite something-," she chuckled painfully, as she recalled the chaotic minutes after they both had woken up, "But something inside me had told me to give it a shot. There was the thrill of meeting up secretly, the dates were spontaneous and exhilarating. It was wild and passionate, and at the same time there was something really deep and meaningful about our relationship. I thought that he was the one. But then he broke up with me, claiming that his career was more important then. I had been shattered, and a week later, I discovered I was pregnant. I was so scared and terrified. I didn't know what to do! Since it was Ryan's of all people" she sobbed, "But Scorpius agreed to help me. And he has been so wonderful-and this git came back and wanted-and now Lily-."

Rose hid her face in her hands, breaking down. She waited for Elora to walk away or get angry at her and slap her. But nothing came.

She finally looked up from her hands to find Elora still staring at her blankly.

"Say something, El", said Rose sniffing, "Please just say something!"

"So he was really good in bed huh?"

Rose choked on her tears and looked at her in disbelief.

"Excuse me?" she spluttered, "Did you just ask me if Ryan was good in bed?"

Elora shrugged before tucking her hair behind her ear, "You told me to say something. So I said something!"

Rose stared at her friend before a chuckle escaped her lips, "I don't know who to thank for having a friend like you-"

"My parents to begin with. And then your parents because they're friends with my parents."

Rose smiled weakly, "So aren't you going to say anything about what I told you just now?"

"Well", started Elora, exhaling deeply, "Hearing that Amelia is Ryan's kid shocked me, to say the least. What astounds me the most was the way Scorpius treats her. You cannot tell that he is fathering his enemy's daughter!"

"I know", said Rose softly, "Things were a little weird after we got married, but then after Amelia was born, I had found my perfect family. She is Scorpius' life and soul. She brought him a kind of happiness that no one could. Everything was wonderful and perfect till Ryan came back into our lives. Scorpius became moodier, angrier, and he'd never stop suspecting-"

Rose lost her voice as a terrible thought sunk in.

"Oh God!" she breathed, her eyes widening in shock as she placed her hand on her chest to calm her racing heart.

"WHAT?" exclaimed Elora, moving towards her in concern.

"Scorpius must have thought that I knew about Amy and Ryan meeting up! Rather, he must have thought that I took Amy to meet Ryan!"

Her stomach twisted very uncomfortably as her breathing slowed down.

"Are you mad? Why would he think that?"

"Last night we had a fight about Ryan. I didn't tell him about where I was going to be today-oh dear Merlin! It all makes sense. He looked so angry when he saw me at the restaurant-what am I-"

"Rose", interrupted Elora impatiently, "You need to calm down. You really think that Scorpius believes that? Do you mean to imply that he doesn't trust you at all when it comes to Ryan?"

The redhead opened her mouth to reply, but stopped immediately.

Didn't Scorpius trust her at all? He had known for fifteen years after all. He knew her darkest and deepest secrets. He knew her better than anyone else, including herself. He knew that he could trust her.

But there was something about the look he had given her in the restaurant. His face was twisted in agony, as if he had been stabbed fatally. His eyes were blazing with rage and hatred which she had earlier believed was for Ryan. But his eyes had remained the same when he had turned to look at her.

She remembered how touchy and agitated Scorpius became whenever Ryan was mentioned, before the accident as well. He always hinted at, although rather subtly, her fooling around with her ex.

No, Scorpius did not trust her. At all.

The rage in her was now accompanied by sheer annoyance. She didn't understand why he believed that she would do something that would hurt him. She was his wife, for the love of Merlin! She loved him, she had told him that repeatedly. Did he not believe her when she had said that?

Annoyance now blowing into full-fledged anger, she said, "No. He doesn't trust me."

"Whoa!" exclaimed Elora in surprise, "You look like you're a second away from killing someone. Calm down. You need to remember that Scorpius is currently in a severe fit of rage-well I don't really know if he is-however you're the one in control of your senses. Think twice before you say anything at all to him-"

"Since when did you start advising people on their problems?" asked Rose, raising her eyebrows, "As far as I remember, I was the Agony Aunt for everybody who knew me."

"I don't know" said Elora smiling slightly, "It's like I have gotten some superpowers since I got pregnant. I freak Albus out all the time these days. Sometimes he questions if I am me", and then looking serious, "I have seen that Agony Aunts are unable to figure out what to when they have their own problems to solve."

"Uh…thanks", said Rose uncertainly before she looked at her watch, "It's nearly five. I have got to go and talk to Scorpius."

"Do you want me to come?"

"No. This is something that only the two of us can sort out. I'll see you later?"

"Yeah. And I won't tell Albus, if that is what you're worried about!"

"Thanks."

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Rose walked back towards her house, having apparated a mile away instead of right in front of her house. It took her a lot of time to make herself feel a little better before she apparated or else she would have Splinched herself.

Her heart seemed to ram faster in her rib-cage with every step she took towards the house. She honestly had no clue as to what would happen next. It all depended what Scorpius had to say or believed.

Moments later it seemed, she was standing in front of the door and staring at it, millions of thoughts running in her mind.

She didn't know how to start a conversation with him. She wasn't sure if Scorpius was mad because he had seen Amelia with Ryan, or if he was mad that he saw with her with Ryan, or if it was both. Would he be planning to ignore what had happened or would he want to talk to her? Or worse, assume whatever he had seen had been right and therefore, not even hear what she had to say about the situation.

Feeling her head hurt a little, she decided that planning her response would not help. Breathing deeply, she opened the door to her house.

The lights in the house were on and it was completely quiet. Rose would have believed that there wasn't anyone in the house, if she hadn't noticed Scorpius standing in front of the door to their backyard, facing away from her. He was standing oddly still, so either he hadn't heard her coming in or he was ignoring her.

She closed the door of her house loudly, and felt her stomach sink when she saw Scorpius hadn't moved an inch.

He was ignoring her.

"Where's Amy?" asked Rose curtly as she took her coat off to hang it on the hook.

He didn't turn around or reply.

"I asked you where's Amy." she asked, sounding a little more impatient and louder than before as she moved towards the kitchen.

"Upstairs. Sleeping", came his cold voice.

He was definitely upset with her.

"What's gotten your wand into a knot?"

"Like you don't know."

"We need to talk, Scorpius", she said sharply, eliciting a snort from him.

"Really? We do?" he joked scathingly, "Aww…sadly, I'm not in the mood to talk!"

"Cut the theatrics, Scorpius!" she said, slightly wary of the mood he was in. She had to be slightly in control of her temper if they were to argue, because she knew he wouldn't, "You really don't think I took Amelia to Ryan, do you?"

Scorpius' silence confirmed her worst fears. Scorpius did indeed think that she took Amelia to Ryan.

"Seriously?" she gasped in disbelief, "You actually think I took my child to that git? It was Lily who took her to Ryan! I was out shopping with Elora today!"

"I don't want to hear it, Rose. You don't need to justify what you did" came his cold voice, his back still turned to her, "I know the truth now. And now I am not going to stop you-,"

"What on earth are you yapping about?" asked Rose incredulously.

"Ah…would you look at that? Now someone else is being quite theatrical!"

"Shut it, Scorpius! Turn around so that we can talk like adults!"

"All the talking is done, Rose!" spat Scorpius, as he turned around. Rose felt a shudder run down her spine as she looked at his stormy eyes, tense jaw, and pale face, "I don't want to hear anything from you! You cheated on me. And now I know the truth!"

"Scorpius, what-?"

"You think that you could meet up with Ryan behind my back and I would not find out about it?"

"Just hear-"

"ROSE!" he thundered, and she moved back in shock. He had never shouted at her the way he was shouting at her now, "I DON'T want to hear what you have to say in your defence."

Rose looked at him in disbelief, her temper mounting slowly and steadily. He wasn't even letting her speak!

"You don't even know the whole truth" she said quickly before he cut her again, "There you go again, assuming that you know everything. That you're always bloody RIGHT! How can you say that I had been cheating on you? Do you even have any proof to believe that? Just because Ryan and I were seen under the same roof does not mean that I am sleeping with him!"

"So you think I don't know the truth, huh?" he gasped, looking at her stonily. He then turned towards the kitchen counter which had a magazine on top of it, something she hadn't noticed before. Scorpius tossed the magazine at her, which she caught quickly before it hit her in the face.

"Open the earmarked page, and tell me that that if this much proof is not enough!"

Rose wordlessly opened the earmarked page. There was a photo of Ryan and a woman she assumed was Lily for there was a picture of Amelia's pram, and nobody but Lily acted as Amelia's babysitter the entire time Scorpius wasn't around. And she was wearing the gigantic hat she had lent to her. Her eyes went to the upper right-hand corner and noticed the issue was the December one.

She suddenly remembered that Lily had taken the copy of December's Witch Weekly from her only a few hours after the magazine had been delivered to her house. She hadn't had the time to read it when Lily had dropped by and had borrowed the magazine on some lame excuse she couldn't remember now.

There was no doubt why Scorpius thought it was her with Ryan. He had found the same hat in her closet yesterday morning, Amelia was there in the picture, a lot was written about the couple and he was already being so suspicious about her.

Lily was so going to pay for this.

"Scorpius", started Rose looking pleadingly at her husband, trying to settle everything down with him before she went and _sorted things out_ with Lily, "That is not me-!"

"I knew you would say that!" said Scorpius, sounding triumphant, "When I had first seen it, I couldn't believe it either! I tried looking for you after I found it. I couldn't find you anywhere-."

"Because I was out shopping with Elora in Muggle Lond-"

"And then I decided to check at Ryan's place. You weren't there. But his little elf confirmed the story!"

Rose took in a sharp breath, gaping at Scorpius.

Ryan had an elf? An elf who claimed that she met up with Ryan?

"That's preposterous!" screamed Rose, "Ryan does not have an elf! Maybe you got the wrong house!"

"I got the address from the Department of Magical Sports, Rose! And the elf said that you visited Ryan _everyday_! You got Amelia to him _everyday_! The elf told me that you two were-." Scorpius' voice cracked suddenly, and Rose started, wondering what had happened, "that you were _in love_. A bloody house-elf told me that! You told me that house-elves never lie, Rose! What the hell was I supposed to make of what I had heard?"

"He must have mistaken Lily for me, Scorpius!" Rose cried out, moving closer to him, "I swear I have never-It was a co-incidence-I didn't do anything! You have to believe me!"

Rose felt the tears escape her eyes as she looked at her husband, begging him to believe that she was completely innocent. For a moment, she thought she had seen his gaze softening as he looked at her.

"Is there anyone who can vouch for your story?" he asked sharply, and she was stung. He wanted an _alibi_. She was like just another criminal for him. He didn't trust her a bit.

"So you don't trust me? You aren't willing to take my word, are you?" she asked, her voice shaking.

"Rose", said Scorpius, sounding extremely agitated, "You are in love with him. He's Amelia's real father. If a woman gets chance to get back together with the father of her child, she wouldn't hesitate. And now that I am completely useless, why would you want to be with me?"

She let a scream of frustration, and looked at him angrily, "For the love of Merlin, Scorpius, I am not in love with him. I am in love with _you_. He may be Amelia's father by blood, but you are the one who really gave her any life of sorts! For everyone other than Ryan and Lily, you are Amelia's real father. And nothing can change that fact. And you aren't useless-"

"Do you have an alibi for today, Rose?" he interrupted, looking angrier as he crossed his arms across his chest, "I'd rather not listen to why you don't think I'm useless, when I know that is what you're thinking right now!"

Rose bit her tongue hard, keeping in the words about to pop out of her mouth. Scorpius could not have sounded more ridiculous than he was sounding right now.

"Okay. Since you don't believe me…", said Rose slowly, feeling tired, upset, and drained all of a sudden, "Elora. She knows everything. You can talk to her."

"Elora is your _friend_ Rose. She will back you up. And I saw you with Ryan almost an hour ago. Who is to say that she wouldn't have a story ready for you?"

Rose gaped at Scorpius in disbelief.

"Are you serious? You wanted an alibi, I gave you one!" she cried, wanting to strangle him for suggesting that Elora would make up a story to save her, or for rather seeming so convinced that he was cheating on her, "Are you so convinced about my infidelity that you aren't even willing to listen to something that may actually prove that I am in fact innocent? Stop being so stubborn and for once just try and see if you're wrong this time!"

"I didn't see Elora and Lily in the restaurant today!" hissed Scorpius, narrowing his eyes and clenching his hands in a fist, "I just saw that bastard with Amy and next thing I know, is you coming up to me and asking me what was I doing there!"

"Oh god!" moaned Rose as she covered her face. Was this actually happening? She lowered her arms in defeat and looked at her him desperately.

"What do you want from me, Scorpius?" she asked tiredly, her eyes watering up again, "I already told you that I am in love with you. I have always considered you as Amy's real father. I don't feel anything for Ryan now nor do I consider him Amy's father. It was Lily who took Amy to Ryan. Elora and I were shopping in muggle London today and I ran into her at the restaurant, and that's how you saw me there."

Scorpius gave her a long hard look before looking away towards the fireplace. He quickly strode over to it, much to her surprise, and grabbed a handful of floo powder from the floo pot and disappeared immediately.

Rose had merely collapsed on the nearest chair, feeling utterly down when Scorpius reappeared a minute later.

"Lily isn't at home", he said curtly, "By the look of the place, it looks like she hasn't been home in a while!"

Rose closed her eyes and breathed deeply.

"Scorpius, I'm really tired of this!" she said, her volume increasing with each syllable, "I feel sick after seeing the amount of trust you have in me. The things you've accused me of, the way you treated me- like a bloody suspect!- Do you have any idea just how insulting and offensive it is for me? You have _got_ to stop!"

At the last word, she stood up upright, mentally begging him to end this torture.

"You're right", came his voice, unnaturally calm, after a minute long silence, "I have to stop doing this. I'll stop once you leave."

"I know" said Rose tiredly, running a hand through her hair, moving towards the staircase, "It's been a long day. We'll sort things out tom-"

"No, Rose", said Scorpius forcefully, "_You_ are going to _leave_. You are going to leave this house tonight."

Rose turned around immediately, looking at him in shock.

"What?" she breathed, feeling as if all the air had been knocked out of her.

"You heard me", said Scorpius, whose impassive expression was doing nothing to calm her down, "You can take Amelia with you once you find a decent accommodation. But then you have so many relatives. I don't think any one of them would mind you staying over for a while."

"No. Scorpius", pleaded Rose immediately, moving towards him. "You can't do this. I told you that I haven't done anything- Do honestly have no trust in me? I know everything out there points at me cheating on you. But do you sincerely think that the Rose you know would cheat on you?"

She was standing very close to him. His eyes bore into hers, and for once, she didn't look away as she usually did because she had felt he could read her like an open book. Because this time, she wanted him to read her, to know that she was saying the truth, and that she loved him so much that each of his accusations and insinuations pierced her like jagged knives.

"Can you swear on Amelia and tell me nothing ever happened between you and Ryan while I was gone?" asked Scorpius in his deep voice which suddenly sounded a little hopeful, "That you never met him behind my back and never did anything that anyone may call cheating?"

Rose opened her mouth immediately, the words 'I swear' _almost_ popping out involuntarily, when she remembered that she had gone to visit Ryan, despite Scorpius' warnings and behind his back. And Ryan had kissed her as well, even if she didn't reciprocate.

She knew she couldn't take a chance by swearing on her child because unlike what happened in the muggle world, things did happen to the person if they were under a false swear, and she did not want any harm to come to Amelia.

She just had to explain to him what exactly had happened, but the hopeful look dying on his face and being replaced by a look of disappointment as she hesitated in taking the swear, crippled every bit of courage in her. She opened her mouth to say something as he slowly moved away from her, not looking at her face anymore.

"I'll get up by ten. I want you gone by then", he said in a tone so indifferent that she was immediately reduced to tears.

He walked past her and stopped suddenly at the beginning of the stairway.

"My Rose wouldn't have cheated on me", he said, sounding extremely upset, "But then you aren't my Rose now, are you? You've never been so."

She stood rooted to her spot, shattered, as she watched him go upstairs, and possibly out of her life.

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**AN:****Rose isnt the only one who's feeling drained right now. :(****  
****Please review!**


	24. Now What?

**Uh…I**** hope you remember this story. And me.**

**It's been a VERY LONG time after all. But I am back. And so is my beta Jackie! She truly refined this chapter!**

**Had updated the news on my Author's page, so those who've read it would know about the delay!**

**This one's dedicated to all those who have been reading this rather over-dramatic, depressing, dry and unrealistic story with bizarre characters despite the long delays in updating!**

**Read on.**

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**Disclaimer:**** Everything recognizable belongs to JK Rowling. Copyright infringement is unintended!**

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**24.**** Now what?**

For the second consecutive morning Rose woke up with a splitting headache. Massaging her forehead with her fingers, she raised herself off what seemed to be the couch. She opened her eyes, shielding them for a second as the bright morning sunshine filtering in from the French windows touched her face.

She turned to look at the clock on the mantle and saw that it was well past seven. It took microseconds for the events of last night to return to her, the harsh reality crashing down on her head.

Her shoulders sagged and her eyes burned as Scorpius' harsh words echoed in her mind.

"_I'll get up b__y ten. I want you gone by then."_

"_My Rose wouldn't have cheated on me. But then you aren't my Rose now, are you? You've never been so."_

She never imagined they'd reach a point in their marriage when things would be so strained and so awful that she would be commanded to leave the house.

She pressed her palm to her forehead and closed her eyes, breathing deeply as she pondered over what to do next.

She knew Scorpius was in a _terrible_ mood. He thought she cheated on him. But she didn't really know if he'd really meant it when he said he wanted her to leave.

She didn't understand why Scorpius wouldn't or didn't believe a word that came out of her mouth. They had been best friends for so long that she safely assumed that he would be able to tell when she lied and when she didn't.

However, every bit of proof that he had went completely against her. The only people who could convince him that she was innocent were the two people she _did not_ want to see again.

If Lily wasn't at home, more likely than not she wouldn't be at her boutique either.

Rose knew that Lily loved Amelia very dearly. She really couldn't fathom why Lily behaved the way she did. Was it to get back at her in some way? Or was it because of her sense of justice as Ryan had claimed?

But then she was helping _Ryan_ of all people! Ryan Smith had shattered her heart like no one had. When and how did she find the heart and courage to forgive him? Or was it because she never got over him? She never denied that they had slept together.

Her head pounded as a myriad of thoughts regarding Lily flooded her mind, and she shook her head trying to clear her mind of her thoughts.

She got up from the couch and moved towards the kitchen, pulling a bottle of water out. She shivered as ice-cold water ran down her throat. But her objective had been achieved. Her head was finally clear.

Hey eyes fell on a fridge magnet, which framed a small photo of her and Scorpius at their wedding; her memories of that day crowded out all other thoughts, and she found herself nostalgically reminiscing.

It had been a simple wedding, perhaps the simplest she'd ever heard of. They had gotten married in a small ceremony at the Burrow, which consisted of their parents' immediate family and closest friends. Rose remembered the sweaty palms and the butterflies that had been fluttering around like crazy in her stomach as she had been waiting for her cue to walk down the aisle. Her mind was buzzing with thoughts and doubts making her wonder if marrying Scorpius was the best thing to do. She had felt her insides twisting inside brutally as she had felt her father take her arm, his eyes wide and shining. And then while walking down the aisle she had seen Scorpius standing at the end of it, looking unbelievably smashing in his black wedding robes. His eyes had gone a little wide at the sight of her, and a huge smile had broken on his face.

And suddenly, the world had righted itself. She could finally breathe easily. Her head finally felt light and clear. She had realized that her decision to get married was not the wrong one. He was her best friend. She couldn't have been happier with anybody else! Perhaps she and Scorpius were always meant to be together.

She remembered the moment when her father gave her hand to Scorpius. And how Scorpius had held her hand as they stood in front of the vicar, exchanging their vows. She remembered looking right into Scorpius' pale blue eyes as she recited her vows, his eyes silently promising her that he would do anything to make her happy and that he would always be there for her.

She bit her lip as tears threatened to spill over, wondering if this was the end of her and Scorpius. _You're being silly! It is a temporary thing! Scorpius will come into his senses in a few days! That is what always happens with him. Do not think too much!_ a voice in her head chided.

But she could not ignore one thing: Scorpius had asked her to leave. Temporary or not, she should leave the house now. If Scorpius didn't mean what he had said last night, he would indeed call her back.

_But if he didn't…_

Not wanting to dwell on the ominous thought, she thought of the various places she could stay. Her parents' house was completely out of question for she knew that her father would bring the skies down or overreact to the entire situation. Or both.

Albus' place was equally off-limits for obvious reasons too.

As she ticked off more and more places, she became frustrated. The only option that made sense was moving into a motel of sorts.

_There is always the Leaky Cauldron._

She knew that moving into The Leaky Cauldron was a big risk in its own way since Hannah Longbottom, the owner, was friends with her parents, and was Elora's mother and Albus' mother-in-law.

But then, Leaky Cauldron was one of the safest Wizarding hotels. And Hannah could always baby-sit Amelia when Rose went to work. And she was sure that Hannah could keep her stay a secret if she asked.

Her eyes flickered to the clock, feeling miserable, drained, lost and confused. It was nearly quarter to eight.

She slowly moved towards the stairs, figuring that if she had to leave, it should be before Amelia wakes up.

* * *

Rose sniffed softly as she unpacked her clothes and placed them in the cupboard of the room they were staying in, dabbing at her eyes impatiently.

She felt downright sick and disgusted. The idea of not having Scorpius in her life anymore was extremely disturbing. She didn't know how she'd survive if Scorpius actually decided to end things with her. She couldn't live without him. She just couldn't.

"Mamma?" She turned to see her daughter looking around the room in utter confusion.

"Hello bear," murmured Rose, moving to the king size bed to pick her daughter up. "Have a good sleep?"

Amelia merely looked at her, before she fidgeted in her arms, "Daddy!" she squealed.

"Daddy's at work, darling!" said Rose, her voice cracking as her heart contracted very painfully at thought of Scorpius and Amelia not seeing each other anymore. "You'll see him later. Now come on, let's get you something to eat! Aren't you hungry?"

"Hungree!" squeaked Amelia happily.

Rose smiled painfully at her daughter before setting up Amelia's high chair. A loud knock on the door of the room startled her.

"It's me!" Hannah Longbottom's voice floated through the door.

"Come in!" Rose replied, before fixing the bib around Amelia's neck.

The door opened to reveal Hannah with a tray of breakfast. The older woman smiled kindly at Rose and Amelia. Rose tried to return the gesture but her heart and mind were so anguished it came out more like a grimace.

"Good morning, Amelia!" said Hannah brightly, placing the breakfast tray on a table. "Guess who made your breakfast today!" The little girl stared curiously at her, trying to figure out if the woman in front of her was her Aunt Elora.

Hannah handed the bowl of cereal to Rose, who took it and started feeding Amelia. "I've informed Elora that you are here. She said she'll be here in a while," Hannah said slowly. "Rose, are you sure you don't want to talk—?"

"I'm positive," said Rose firmly, keeping her eyes fixed on her daughter. She felt Hannah's eyes on her face, questioning, kind and sympathetic. Then turning to face her, Rose said, "Listen, I am really sorry. Not many people know about this situation between me and Scorpius, and I would really like to keep it that way."

Hannah nodded. "That's alright, dear."

"And thank you for not telling Mum and Dad, either. I really appreciate it."

Hannah smiled. "It's my duty to safeguard the privacy of my customers. And anyway, I know whatever this is, it's temporary."

"You think?" asked Rose hopefully, willing to listen to anyone and everyone who could convince her it wasn't over between her and Scorpius.

"I have seen you and Scorpius together. I have heard about you and Scorpius since you were at school. I have rarely seen two people who deserved to be together more than you both. So don't worry much. Everything will fall in place soon enough." Rose smiled weakly at her. Hannah smiled back. "If there's anything else you need, let me know, alright? I need to go now. Being the landlady of this place keeps you on your toes!"

Rose nodded at her and watched her leave through the door before sighing heavily; she was still scared of the outcome, but now couldn't help but feel a little hopeful about the situation.

Rose had just finished feeding Amelia and was wiping her mouth with a napkin when someone knocked again on the door.

"Rose, open up! It's me!" came Elora's concerned voice from outside her room. Feeling relief break out all over her as she finally had someone she could talk to, she walked towards the door.

She had just opened it to let in Elora when a figure at the end of the corridor made her freeze where she stood. Her blood ran cold as her mouth fell open in horror. Elora turned and her eyes widened as she too looked at the person who seemed to have followed her.

"What the hell is going on here, Rose?" Albus Potter demanded as he approached them slowly, his green eyes worried.

* * *

Scorpius' eye twitched as the watch on the bed-side table beeped. He turned to look at it and felt his insides twist uncomfortably as the watch now blinked ten. He got up slowly, a sense of foreboding gnawing at him. He had been up for hours. As a matter of fact, he had a very restless night; he fell in and out of sleep the entire time.

He had been straining his ear for a long time now, trying to hear some commotion outside that would let him know that Rose had left the place, but Amelia not turning up around nine to wake him up confirmed it. All he now needed to do was walk outside and see if his wife and daughter were really there indeed.

He slowly pushed off his bedcovers, feeling nauseous as he walked towards the door of his bedroom. He slowly opened it and walked towards Amelia's room.

His heart nearly stopped at the sight of Amelia's empty bed. All her toys were gone. And the room was as immaculately clean. In fact it looked like it hadn't been used at all.

He leaned against the wall, and slid down to the floor, desperately trying to ignore the tears pricking his eyes. _What are you feeling upset about? You were the one who told them to leave! _came a snide voice in his head. He had desperately wanted to believe what Rose had said about her being in love with him and not Ryan; about her not cheating on him with Ryan. But he _couldn't_.

Smith was everything he wasn't. That git still loved Rose. And he could provide her with more than Scorpius could. Rose had claimed that she was in love with him while she was dating him. Even in the first few months of their marriage, Scorpius had thought that she wasn't completely over Ryan. Ryan was Amelia's biological father. And from what he could fathom the previous night, she did meet Smith behind his back and perhaps had gotten more than _acquainted_ with him.

If that had happened, who was he, Scorpius Malfoy, to try and stop anything from happening further?

If he had his way, he would have killed Ryan months ago so that he could have Rose and Amelia to himself for the rest of his life. But then he was a person in love. And the thing that ranked the highest on his list of priorities was Rose's happiness.

Maybe Rose was feeling conflicted and embarrassed right now. There had been times in the past when she had done things that went against her morals and had been completely mortified and ashamed of herself. He knew he couldn't make the decisions for her, but he could push her towards what he thought was the right one.

He exhaled loudly, a very unpleasant sensation running down his spine as he realized what he will have to do. The crushing sensation had returned in full force and for the first time since he came back from his mission, he wished he was dead instead. At least he wouldn't have had to suffer the pain that he'd suffer when his wife and daughter weren't a part of his life anymore.

* * *

"Did you follow me here?" screeched Elora shrilly.

"I overheard you talking to Hannah at the fire grate," sputtered Albus, his eyes still wide in surprise. "Didn't believe it. So I followed you here. Rose—What—seriously, what are you doing here?"

Rose just stared at Albus, feeling extremely numb. Had the moment to tell him the truth finally arrived?

"We better get inside before somebody sees us," said Elora hurriedly, before she pushed Albus inside the room and closed the door behind her.

"Amy's here as well?" exclaimed Albus in a louder voice as he saw Amelia seated in the high chair. The little girl grinned at him, flexing her arms towards her godfather, requesting him to pick her up.

"Oh shut it, you!" retorted Elora irritably. "You'll wake up the dead if you continue squealing like that!"

Rose started feeling extremely hot around the neck, the nausea all of a sudden returning once again. Albus visibly calmed himself.

"Rose, love: Why are you here?" asked Albus softly, as he walked towards her, placing his hands in her shoulders.

Rose hesitated. "Scorpius threw me out of the house." Albus's eyes widened even further—if that was even possible—looking at her questioningly, clearly asking why. Rose took a deep breath and looked right into his green eyes. This was it. She didn't know what will happen after she told him the truth, but she couldn't stand hiding things from him any longer. "He believes I cheated on him with Ryan Smith."

Albus gaped at her, his mouth opening and closing soundlessly. "Is this supposed to be some kind of a sick joke?" Rose looked at him in surprise as Elora rolled her eyes. "I mean," Albus added, "You can obviously cheat on somebody who is better than that guy? Anyone is better than that guy! But you haven't cheated on him!" A pause. "Have you?"

"No I did not! I told him as much."

"And he doesn't believe you?" Rose shook her head, her lips pressed in a thin line. Fur_y_ flooded her veins as she was yet again reminded that Scorpius didn't trust her. "But why- Wait! How did he come to conclusion that there was something going on between you and _Smith_ of all people?"

Rose opened her mouth and then closed it, not knowing what exactly to say. She turned to look at Amelia, who was looking at them with her nose scrunched up. It was a good thing that her daughter was too young to understand any of what was going on now. "Amelia isn't Scorpius' daughter," said Rose, turning to look back at Albus.

"Say what now?" Albus croaked, looking at her in horror.

"Scorpius is not Amelia's biological father," Rose repeated tiredly.

"Then who is her father?" he nearly shouted, looking as if he wasn't buying her story.

"Ryan Smith," said Rose calmly as she looked right into his eyes.

It was really odd, this moment. For over two years, she had been petrified of telling Albus the entire truth because she knew just how much he hated Ryan. And now she was feeling oddly at peace despite the fact that her husband had already thrown her out of the house and had told Albus the truth.

Albus stared back at her, his face devoid of any emotion. Elora came forward, looking extremely concerned. "Albus, are you all right?" she asked softly, placing her hand on his shoulder.

"I need to sit down," he muttered after a few seconds, allowing himself to be dragged to the bed where he sat down and gazed at the floor.

"Ryan and I dated for almost a year," continued Rose, taking advantage of his silence, "I dated him despite his history with our family which is why our relationship was kept a secret. Whatever I had with him, it was perfect. I thought that he was the one. I loved him. I really did. But then he had to choose between me and Quidditch. He chose Quidditch. About a week after we broke up, I discovered that I was pregnant. I was scared, lost and confused. I knew I wanted to keep the child. I could not have given the baby up. I wanted to talk to you and let you know. Believe me, I really did. But then I was so scared that you might hate me because I was carrying Ryan's child. I had already lost Ryan. I could not have lost you too, you're my cousin and best friend! Scorpius heard me out. He was mad at first when I told him about Ryan, but he decided that he will be there for me to help me out. He offered to marry me and raise the child with him. I could not have said no. And that's how the entire world came to know Amelia as Scorpius's daughter." Rose paused to look at Albus. He was still facing the floor, only that his eyes were closed. His head was shaking his head, as if not wanting to believe what she had been saying. "Scorpius and I were happy with our marriage. But then Ryan came back into our lives. He said that he still loved me and wanted to marry me. He eventually figured out that Amelia was his and he wanted to visit her but Scorpius and I—"

"Elora, can you take Amy with you outside?" interrupted Albus' eerily calm voice.

"I don't think—"

"Now." There was such finality in that tone that Elora looked conflicted as she looked at Rose. Rose nodded silently, not wanting her daughter to be a witness if things turned very ugly. Elora picked up Amelia from her high chair, the child waving happily at them as she left the room.

Suffocating silence engulfed the room as soon as the door closed.

Rose could hear her own heart thumping loudly in her ribcage as she waited for Albus to say something. She could handle all the shouting, abuse, and insults from him. But she couldn't stand his silence.

"So my best friends decided to keep me in the dark," came Albus's cold voice that made her heart nearly stop beating. "I am your freaking cousin Rose!" he hissed angrily as he stood up, looking livid. "Why wasn't I told about this?"

"Albus—" pleaded Rose. Sure Albus was reacting, but perhaps about the thing she wasn't expecting.

"And Smith? Seriously! What were you thinking when you were fooling around with him! You know what he did to my sister—!"

"And your precious sister is the reason why Scorpius and I are not under the same roof anymore!" screamed Rose, her eyes filling with tears.

"What are you talking about?" demanded Albus, narrowing his eyes.

"Your sweet little sister discovered the secret," spat Rose bitterly, glaring at him through her tears. "And she decided that Ryan had a right to meet his daughter. So she took Amelia to him behind my back for weeks!"

"She—she wouldn't do that!" exclaimed Albus disbelievingly, shaking his head. "That guy broke—why would she do it?"

"Beats me," Rose growled. "Lily got herself clicked with Ryan and the photo was published in a magazine along with a long article, speculating on whom the girl might be. The photographer had managed to get a back shot. But Amelia's pram was there in it. It didn't take Scorpius much time to believe that I was the one in the picture. He didn't trust me much when it came to Ryan before. Such things only confirmed the worst."

She looked back at Albus, who looked shocked and said, "As for why I didn't tell you, you had gotten engaged to Elora only a week before. You were so happy. I couldn't have ruined it for you. I was scared to tell you. I love you too much, Al. The thought of losing you because of my mistake was too painful for me. I thought you would hate me forever. I couldn't have you hating me, Al. I just couldn't!" Rose sat on the bed, feeling the tears travelling the length of her cheeks. She had really screwed everything up!

"You can leave me now," she sniffed, looking at the floor. Her gaze didn't leave the floor when she heard Albus moving and the next second later, he was kneeling down in front of her.

"I may hate Ryan. But I love you more," he said softly, placing his hand on her cheek and wiping her cheeks.

_Wait. What?_

"You're not mad at me?" she spluttered, not daring to believe her luck.

"I am, Rose. I'm very, very mad at you. For both dating Ryan, and not telling me about Amelia's real parentage. But you ought to know that some things matter more in life for me. You could have told me about your pregnancy. Okay so maybe I would have been very upset—"

"But you had just gotten engaged to Elora. I couldn't have—"

"Shut it, you. Elora is the love of my life, yes. She is my wife, yes. But you also are a part of my life. One of the very few people I can't live without. You have been there when I needed a friend. Why wouldn't I be there for you?"

Rose felt herself tearing up again. She really didn't deserve such a wonderful best friend. She let out a choked sob as she threw herself in his arms, making him lose his balance. "You're brilliant, you know that?" she chuckled, looking up at him.

"I do," said Albus cracking a smile. "But hearing it once in a while from someone else doesn't hurt!" Rose let out an unattractive snort as she hugged him tightly, thanking him silently for being so wonderful, for being him. Knowing that Albus was with her gave her some mental peace.

They stayed hugging each other in comfortable silence before Albus spoke. "So what's the deal with Scorpius? You do love him, right?"

Rose pulled back from the hug, feeling upset again. "How can I not love him? I have loved him since I was twelve," she said, feeling her heart grow heavy. "I told him repeatedly that I didn't cheat on him and that I don't have feelings for Ryan anymore. And he doesn't believe me. What am I supposed to do?"

"Look, I know Scorpius would throw himself in front of you if there was a Killing Curse aimed at you. He loves you and Amy very much. I haven't seen him as happy he is now, before. He will see that you were indeed telling the truth. I'll go and talk to him right now and try and convince him that you haven't done anything wrong!"

"Scorpius is being too stubborn right now! He won't listen to you. I nearly lost my voice yesterday—"

"I know he's having a hard time right now with the whole accident thing and then this. I'll talk to him and convince him to give you a chance to speak. You know that guy. He is a fair person. He'll give you a shot before he makes his final decision."

Rose nodded, allowing Albus to draw her to her feet.

"Now have your breakfast. And pack your things again. You and Amy are going to stay with us," Albus said firmly. "And I am not going to hear any excuse about being a burden or what not," he added, as Rose opened her mouth to protest. "Leaky Cauldron is a place where the chances of running into a Weasley are pretty high. So unless you want others to find out about it, please stay with us."

She looked at him before agreeing. "Okay."

"Good. So I'll talk to Scorpius now. Take care." He kissed her swiftly on the forehead and left the room.

A small smile broke onto Rose's face. If there was one person who could get Scorpius to think straight it was Albus Potter.

And again she thanked her stars for being born into the Weasley family.

* * *

Scorpius had barely turned off the shower when he heard his name being called.

"Scorpius!"

He sighed as he wrapped a towel around his waist, and moved out into the bedroom. He quickly changed into his clothes and moved downstairs to see Albus moving about rapidly in the living room, looking extremely tense.

"Morning, Potter," grunted Scorpius, moving to the kitchen to make himself some breakfast. "Why so early? Decided to have breakfast at my place today?"

Albus' head whipped around hearing Scorpius's voice. He moved swiftly towards the blonde.

"What the bleeding fuck is going on, Scorpius? Why is Rose putting up at Leaky Cauldron?" Albus demanded sternly.

Scorpius didn't answer. He merely broke some eggs over the pan.

"Scorpius! I am asking you a question! What is Rose doing at Leaky Cauldron?"

"First, I don't want to talk about it," Scorpius replied waspishly, as he poured himself some juice and transferred the eggs on to a plate. "Second, since I didn't inform you, and the only person who knew about this recent development was Rose herself, I'm assuming that she told you that she has been thrown out. So why don't you ask _her_ instead?"

"Rose told me everything, Scorpius. _Everything._ She hasn't done anything wrong!"

"Yeah right!" Scorpius snorted vindictively.

"Scorpius," said Albus sounding exasperated, "Why are you behaving like this? I know that deep down somewhere, you know that she hasn't cheated on you!"

"I don't have a reason to believe that she hasn't!" Scorpius snapped coldly, swallowing his scrambled eggs quickly. "Every piece of evidence points at her infidelity. She admitted that she had seen Ryan behind my back! And she refused to swear on Amelia! What am I supposed to gather from that?"

Albus's eyes widened for a second before reverting back to its normal size.

"Scorpius, Rose isn't doing so well."

"She eventually will."

"And what about Amy?" Scorpius felt his heart stop as he heard his daughter's name. He missed his little girl _so much_. Being away from her is truly going to kill him. "Don't you give a damn about what she will have to go through once she realizes that you won't be a part of her life any more?"

"She's too young," he replied, feeling his heart being punctured with every word that came out of his mouth. "She'll eventually forget that I was her father in the initial few months of her life. She'll get accustomed to having Smith as her father."

"Scorpius, again: what on earth are you talking about? Rose loves you. She is not getting back together with Smith."

Scorpius merely grunted as he waved his wand over the utensils, cleaning them immediately.

"I had never seen you as happy before as you were after you had Amy. You seriously can't just throw it all away!"

"Well I didn't. And anyway, it wasn't like I hadn't expected it!"

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"I am a Malfoy, Potter," snarled Scorpius, looking at Albus angrily. "Malfoys are bound to have something screw up their lives. Malfoys have had this going on for generations! Grandfather was always a nut who believed in blood purity. He worshipped Voldemort and since then no Malfoy has never been seen in a good light! My dad was fine till he got involved with Voldemort. Everything just became worse for a Malfoy. Look at me. Everything was fine till now and then—BOOM! Everything's going down the drain! It is fate! And I can't do anything about it!"

"Yes you can!" Albus yelled angrily. "Your fate doesn't make choices for you! Your choices make your fate!" Then dropping his angry stance, he spoke softly. "Scorpius, I know what Rose and Amy mean to you. Don't be too hasty in making your decision."

"Don't tell me what I need to do, Albus! I'm an adult!"

"Well then behave like one! Don't judge Rose so quickly. Give her a chance to speak. Or else you may end up making a decision you'll regret for the rest of your life."

"It's typical isn't it?" Scorpius spat. "You're defending your cousin over me despite knowing that she did wrong. You finally showed that blood runs thicker."

"Oh cut the crap, Malfoy!" Albus thundered. "You're blinded by your fucking insecurities and your pride! Wake up, you're wrong! You never hesitated when taking responsibilities for your follies. So grow up, Scorpius!"

Something snapped inside Scorpius, and he didn't even realize it when he grabbed Albus by his collar and pushed him violently against the wall, his hand curled into a fist.

The shocked expression on his friend's face worked as more than a wake up call. Had he just pushed Albus against the wall with the intention of hurting him? _What am I doing? What is happening to me?_

Scorpius let go of Albus, his body quivering. "I'll see you later," he mumbled, before walking out of his house to apparate to _somewhere_ where no one could find him and therefore could think clearly.

He had a lot of decisions to make.

* * *

**AN:**

**First of all, I'm VERY VERY VERY sorry for not updating for MONTHS. I sincerely hope you guys haven't lost interest in the story. **

**That little criticism of the story in the beginning is real. Had received it only a while ago. Made me wonder if I'm really that bad!**

**Anyway, I'm glad to have found my writing rhythm again…Will try best to maintain it.**

**Now please review! You know how reviews encourage an author to update sooner! ;)**


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